Color management device, information output method, and program

Abstract

To provide a color management device and an information output method capable of outputting information that leads to improvement of an operator's skills.SOLUTION: A color management device server 10 according to one side of the present invention includes a control unit 100 that associates an adjustment history of a printer 40 and color verification results obtained by verifying colorimetric results with each other in execution units of color verification and stores them in a memory unit 110 as colorimetric adjustment history information D3, and a client collaboration unit 12 that acquires the colorimetric adjustment history information D3 and outputs it to a terminal device 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a color management device, an information output method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In a printing company, before printing a printed matter with an image forming apparatus, a chart (wedge), which is a document in which color adjustment patches are arranged in a matrix, is printed on paper, and the color of the printed chart is measured with a colorimeter. Then, the printing company manages the output quality of a plurality of image forming apparatuses owned by the company by checking whether the color measured by the colorimeter satisfies a color management target value as a predetermined standard.

[0003] When performing color management of an image forming apparatus based on a color management target value, first, a color management person (hereinafter also referred to as "color manager") in the printing company sets the color management target value. After setting the color management target value, an operator in charge of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as "operator") prints a chart using the image forming apparatus he / she manages, and measures (measures) the printed chart using a colorimeter. Then, a color verification for checking whether the measurement result by the colorimeter satisfies the color management target value is carried out by the color manager or the operator, who also performs calculations as necessary.

[0004] Generally, there is a large skill difference between the color manager and the operator. The color manager has knowledge of color theory, color adjustment methods for printed matters such as color measurement, and color adjustment methods for printers, and has skills to match a desired color. On the other hand, the operator usually works under the instruction of the color manager and often does not have the knowledge and skills that the color manager has. Therefore, the time taken for the operator to perform color adjustment processing may be longer than the time taken for the color manager to perform color adjustment processing.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the processor of the image forming apparatus is configured to hold the history or log of color patches, and the order of the color patches in a plurality of measurement sheets is determined based on the number of times each color patch has failed within parameters such as a predetermined time frame or the number of printed sheets. According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, based on the information of the history or log of color patches, for example, the color patches that failed in the most recent or previous color verification are moved and / or rearranged and printed on the first page of a plurality of measurement sheets. Thus, for example, even when an operator with low skill performs color adjustment processing, it is possible to prevent wasteful consumption of paper, toner, ink, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] By the way, it is considered that by improving the skill of the operator, it is possible to reduce the time required for color adjustment and the consumption of paper, toner, etc. during the execution of color adjustment. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a technique for improving the skill of the operator.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a color management apparatus and a color management method capable of outputting information leading to improvement of the operator's skill.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] To solve the above problems, a color management device reflecting one aspect of the present invention includes a control unit that associates adjustment history information of an image forming apparatus with a color verification result obtained by verifying a color measurement result of a printed matter output from the image forming apparatus in units of color verification implementations, and stores the result in a storage unit as color measurement adjustment history information, and an output unit that acquires the color measurement adjustment history information and outputs it to a display device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, an operator can deepen knowledge about color adjustment and improve skills by checking the correspondence information between the content of color measurement adjustment performed on an image forming apparatus and the color verification result. That is, according to the present invention, information leading to improvement of the operator's skills is provided. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the components are omitted.

[0013] <Configuration of Color Management System> First, referring to FIG. 1, a configuration example of the control system of the color management system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control system of the color management system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0014] The color management system 1 includes a color management server 10, a terminal device 20, and printers 40 (printer 40a and printer 40b).

[0015] The color management server 10 (an example of a color management device) includes a control unit 100 and a storage unit 110. The control unit 100 has a network I / F (Interface) 11, a client cooperation unit 12, a color measurement data management unit 13, a color measurement result determination unit 14, a printer cooperation unit 15, a printer adjustment data management unit 16, and a training data creation and provision unit 17.

[0016] The network I / F 11 controls the transmission and reception operations of various data performed between the terminal device 20, the printers 40a and 40b, which are connected via the network N. The client cooperation unit 12 (an example of an output unit) performs processes related to cooperation with the terminal device 20 connected via the network I / F unit 11. For example, the client cooperation unit 12 receives the color measurement results transmitted from the terminal device 20 and outputs them to the color measurement data management unit 13. Also, the client cooperation unit 12 transmits a training set D4 (see FIG. 6), etc., generated by the training data creation and provision unit 17 to the terminal device 20.

[0017] The color measurement data management unit 13 manages the color measurement history information D1 (see FIG. 3) of the color measurement results (color measurement values) by the colorimeter 30a connected to the terminal device 20 or the in-line colorimeter 30b built into the printer 40b. The color measurement history information D1 is a database in which the correspondence information between the color management target value at the time of color measurement, the color measurement value, the determination result of color measurement, the colorimeter (colorimeter 30a or in-line colorimeter 30b) that performed the color measurement, and the printer 40 that output the printed matter that was the target of color measurement is stored.

[0018] The color management target value is a value indicating the allowable range of deviation (error) from the target value, such as the color measurement value in patch units or the calculation result (color measurement verification value) using the color measurement values of a plurality of patches. For the color management target value, a normalized value, a value uniquely defined by the company, etc. are set. The color measurement history information D1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 below.

[0019] The color measurement result determination unit 14 determines (color verification) whether the measurement results of the wedge or chart by a colorimeter (colorimeter 30a or in-line colorimeter 30b), not shown, fall within the allowable range of error from the target value defined in the color management target value.

[0020] A wedge or a chart is an original image composed of a plurality of patches arranged in a matrix on a sheet of paper. Wedges or charts include those defined by a standards organization and those independently created by a company. A predetermined interval based on the specifications of the colorimeter is provided between patches. The difference between a wedge and a chart is considered to be the difference in the number of patches arranged, and generally, the number of patches arranged in a wedge is less than the number of patches arranged in a chart. In the following description, an example using a wedge will be given, but a chart may also be used.

[0021] A patch is an area filled with a unique color and is generally 2 square-shaped with a side length of 8 mm 2 or 9 mm, etc. The minimum size of the square is determined by the specifications of the colorimeter. For example, in a printer that performs printing with four colors of C, M, Y, and K, patches are provided corresponding to each color, and the gradation value in each patch is set to, for example, CMYK = (100, 100, 100, 100), etc.

[0022] The printer cooperation unit 15 performs processing related to cooperation with printers 40a and 40b connected via the network I / F 11.

[0023] The printer adjustment data management unit 16 manages adjustment history information D2 (see FIG. 4), which is information on the history of each adjustment performed on printers 40a and 40b. The adjustment of printer 40 is an adjustment performed to bring the color measurement value closer to the color management target value. Examples include maximum density adjustment, profile creation and application, calibration, change of various setting values, cleaning of materials such as toner and charging rollers, and material replacement. The adjustment history information D2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 below.

[0024] The training data creation and provision unit 17 generates a training set D4 (an example of training data) for the operator based on the color measurement history information D1 and the adjustment history information D2. The training set D4 is data in which the color measurement history and adjustment history are associated with the improvement information of the color measurement value. The improvement information of the color measurement value is information indicating the improvement content of the color measurement value since the previous color measurement, and the improvement means that the color measurement value has approached the color management target value. The training set D4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6 described later.

[0025] The training data creation and provision unit 17 first creates color measurement adjustment history information D3 in which the color measurement history and adjustment history for each printer are arranged in time series based on the color measurement history information D1 and the adjustment history information D2. Then, based on the generated color measurement adjustment history information D3, the color measurement history information D1, and the adjustment history information D2, a training set D4 is created. The color measurement adjustment history information D3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 described later.

[0026] In addition, the training data creation and provision unit 17 provides training to users who have not taken the training based on the training reception status for each user recorded in the user information table T (see FIG. 7). More specifically, the training data creation and provision unit 17 provides training to the user by transmitting a training screen Sc2 (see FIGS. 9 to 11) based on the training set D4 to the terminal device 2 via the client cooperation unit 12.

[0027] The training data creation and provision unit 17 selects a training set D4 generated based on the color measurement history and adjustment history of the printer 40 for which the user makes adjustments as the training to be taken by the user. The user information table T will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7 described later, and the training screen Sc2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 described later.

[0028] The storage unit 110 is composed of a non-volatile storage 510 shown in FIG. 2 or the like. In the storage unit 110, color measurement history information D1, adjustment history information D2, color measurement and adjustment history information D3, training set D4, user information table T, etc. are stored.

[0029] The terminal device 20 is composed of, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) or the like, and is operated by a color manager or an operator of a printing company that performs color measurement. The terminal device 20 transmits the color measurement value obtained by the colorimeter 30a to the color management server 1. Further, the terminal device 20 has a display unit (display unit 520: see FIG. 2), and a training screen or the like based on the training set D4 created by the training data creation and provision unit 17 of the color management server 1 is displayed on the display unit.

[0030] The colorimeter 30a is connected to the terminal device 20, measures color values such as L*a*b values of each color patch included in the wedge, and outputs the measured color measurement value to the terminal device 20.

[0031] The printers 40a and 40b (an example of an image forming apparatus) are apparatuses that form (print) an image on paper by an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, for example. In the present embodiment, the printer 40b is provided with an in-line colorimeter 30b therein. The in-line colorimeter 30b also measures the color values of each color patch constituting the wedge formed on the paper, and transmits the color measurement value to the color management server 10 via the printer 40b.

[0032] The color management process by the color management system 1 described above is performed according to the following procedure. (1) The color manager determines the color management target value. At this time, the color manager also sets (designs) the parameters of the wedge for color management. Then, the color manager sets the color management target value and the wedge information in the color management server 10. (2) The operator prints the wedge using the printer 40 that he / she is in charge of. (3) The operator measures the printed wedge using the colorimeter 30a. Alternatively, the printed matter on which the wedge is printed is automatically measured by the in-line colorimeter 30b. (4) The color measurement result determination unit 14 (see FIG. 1) of the color management server 10 determines whether the measured result satisfies the color target value. (5) When the color measurement result determination unit 14 determines that the color measurement value does not satisfy the color management target value, the color administrator or the operator adjusts the printer. After the implementation of (5), the process of (2) is performed again.

[0033] The step (4) above is called color verification. In color verification, if the color measurement value satisfies the color management target value, it is determined as "Pass" (qualified), and if it does not reach the target, it is determined as "Fail" (unqualified). Although it is possible to automate some of the adjustments in the step (5) above, since the adjustments include physical responses such as cleaning and replacement of toner, charging rollers, etc., not all can be automated. And in order to appropriately adjust the printer, color management, printer knowledge, adjustment skills, etc. are important.

[0034] <Configuration of the control system of each device constituting the color management system> Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration (hardware configuration) of the control system of each device constituting the color management system 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device constituting the color management system 1. The computer 50 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of the hardware used as a computer that can operate as the color management server 1, the terminal device 20, and the printer 40 of the color management system 1 according to the present embodiment. These devices constituting the color management system 1 according to the present embodiment realize the color management process according to the color management method of the present invention when the computer 50 (computer) executes a program and the functional blocks shown in FIG. 1 cooperate with each other.

[0036] The computer 50 includes a control unit 500, a non-volatile storage 510, a display unit 520, an operation input unit 530, and a communication I / F 540, each connected to the bus B.

[0037] The control unit 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503.

[0038] The CPU 501 reads the program code of the software that realizes each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 502, expands it in the RAM 503, and executes it. Note that the computer 50 may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU 501.

[0039] Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the arithmetic processing by the CPU 501 are temporarily written into the RAM 503.

[0040] As the non-volatile storage 510, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a non-volatile memory card, etc. can be used. In this non-volatile storage 510, in addition to the OS (Operating System) and various parameters, a program for operating the computer 50 and the like are recorded. Note that the program may be stored in the ROM 502.

[0041] The program is stored in the form of program code readable by a computer, and the CPU 501 sequentially executes operations according to the program code. That is, the ROM 502 or the non-volatile storage 510 is used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program executed by a computer.

[0042] The display unit 520 (an example of a display device) is a monitor composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays the results of processes performed by the computer 50 and the like. The operation input unit 530 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor, etc., generates an operation signal according to an operation by the user, and supplies it to the CPU 501. Note that the display unit 520 and the operation input unit 530 may be integrally configured as a touch panel.

[0043] The communication I / F 540 is composed of a communication device or the like that controls communication performed with other devices. The function of the network I / F 11 of the color management server 1 is realized by the communication I / F 540.

[0044] <Configuration of color measurement history information> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the color measurement history information D1. As shown in FIG. 3, the color measurement history information D1 has items of "color management target value at the time of color measurement" and "color measurement information". The item of "color management target value at the time of color measurement" has sub-items of "paper type", "wedge", "color measurement target value", and "tolerance value".

[0045] In the item of "paper type", information on the type of paper on which a wedge is printed, such as "coated paper", is stored. In the item of "wedge", the name of the wedge is stored. The name of the wedge stores the name of a preset color management target value established by a standard organization such as Japan Color, IDEAlliance, or a custom color management target value created by the company itself.

[0046] In the item of "color measurement target value", the target value (specified value) indicated by the three values of "L", "a", and "b" in the L*a*b value is stored. The three values of "L", "a", and "b" are provided for the number of patches of each color (CMYK) that make up the wedge. Note that if the color measurement target value is a preset value compliant with the standard and the correspondence between the color management target value name of the preset and the color measurement target value is managed by another table (not shown) or the like, the item of "color measurement target value" may not be provided in the color measurement history information D1.

[0047] In the item of "tolerance value", a value indicating the allowable range of deviation when a deviation (error) from the color measurement target value indicated by the L*a*b value or the like occurs is stored. For example, "dE: 4.5", which is the tolerance value associated with "Japan Color Control Strip,..." of the color management target value, indicates that the allowable deviation amount from the L*a*b value obtained by the CIE DE2000 color difference formula is 4.5 or less. Also, "dEavg: 3" indicates that the allowable deviation amount from the average value (ave) of the L*a*b value obtained by the CIE DE2000 color difference formula is 3 or less. Note that the tolerance value is adjusted, such as being tightened or loosened, by the operation of color management.

[0048] The item of "color measurement information" has sub-items of "color measurement value", "color measurement result", "color measuring instrument used", "printer information", "date and time of color measurement", and "color measurement ID".

[0049] In the item of "color measurement value", the color measurement value acquired by the color measuring instrument is stored. In the item of "color measurement result", a value of "Pass" or "Fail" indicating the color verification result by the color measurement result determination unit 14 (see FIG. 1) is stored. "Pass" indicates that the error between the color measurement value and the target value is within the allowable range, and "Fail" indicates that the error between the color measurement value and the target value exceeds the allowable range.

[0050] In the item of "color measuring instrument used", the name of the color measuring instrument used for color measurement is stored. In the item of "printer information", the name of the printer that printed the wedge to be color - measured on the paper is stored. Note that the information stored in the item of "printer information" may be a unique ID assigned to the printer or the like, as long as it can uniquely identify the printer. In the item of "color - measurement execution date and time", the information of the date and time when the color - measurement was performed by the operator is stored. In the item of "color - measurement ID", a color - measurement ID for uniquely identifying the information of each record stored in the color - measurement history information D1, such as "M13", is stored.

[0051] Note that each record constituting the color - measurement history information D1 corresponds to one color - measurement (color - measurement job), and in the color - measurement history information D1, the records corresponding to each color - measurement are stored in descending order.

[0052] <Adjustment history information> Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the configuration of the adjustment history information D2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the adjustment history information D2.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4, the adjustment history information D2 has items of "printer information" and "adjustment information". The item of "printer information" has sub - items of "printer", "model", and "serial No.".

[0054] In the item of "printer name", the name of the printer that printed the wedge to be color - measured on the paper and for which color adjustment was performed is stored. In the adjustment history information D2, two printer names, "Printer A" and "Printer B", are stored in the item of "printer".

[0055] In the item of "model", the model name of the printer having the printer name stored in the item of "printer" is stored.

[0056] In the item of "serial No.", the serial No. of the printer having the printer name stored in the item of "printer" is stored. In the item of "Adjustment details", information on the adjustments carried out to bring the color measurement values closer to the color management target values is stored.

[0057] The item of "Adjustment information" has sub-items of "Color measurement date and time" and "Adjustment ID". In the item of "Color measurement date and time", information on the date and time when color measurement was carried out by the operator is stored. In the item of "Adjustment ID", an adjustment ID for uniquely identifying the information of each record stored in the adjustment history information D2, such as "A153", is stored. Each record constituting the adjustment history information D2 corresponds to one color adjustment, and in the adjustment history information D2, the records corresponding to each color adjustment are stored in descending order.

[0058] In the bottommost record of the adjustment history information D2 shown in FIG. 4, in the color adjustment managed by the adjustment ID "A148", it is shown that the toner of C (Cyan) was replaced in the printer named "Printer-B". Also, in the color adjustment managed by the subsequent ID "A149", it is shown that the maximum density of each of C, M, Y, and K was adjusted in the printer named "Printer-B".

[0059] In the color adjustment managed by the subsequent ID "A150", it is shown that calibration was carried out in the printer named "Printer-A", and in the color adjustment managed by the subsequent ID "A151", it is shown that the maximum density of each of C, M, Y, and K was adjusted in the printer named "Printer-A".

[0060] In the color adjustment managed by the subsequent ID "A152", it is shown that the density balance of each of C, M, Y, and K was adjusted in the printer named "Printer-A". And in the color adjustment managed by the ID "A153" stored in the topmost record, it is shown that the maximum density of the color of C was adjusted in the printer named "Printer-A".

[0061] <Printer history information> Next, referring to FIG. 5, the color measurement adjustment history information D3 created by the training data creation and provision unit 17 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the color measurement adjustment history information D3. The color measurement adjustment history information D3 is information in which the color measurement history and adjustment history for each printer are arranged in chronological order, and has items of "color measurement execution date and time", "printer name", "event", "color measurement ID or adjustment ID", and "set ID and step number". The color measurement adjustment history information D3 shown in FIG. 5 records the color measurement history and adjustment history in the printer 40 whose printer name is "Printer-A".

[0062] In the item of "color measurement execution date and time", information on the date and time when color measurement was performed by the operator is stored. In the item of "printer name", the name of the printer that printed the wedge paper to be color-measured and performed color adjustment is stored.

[0063] In the item of "event", information on "color measurement" or "adjustment" is stored as information on the event that occurred in the color management process. In the item of "color measurement ID or adjustment ID", a color measurement ID starting with "M" managed in the color measurement history information D1 or an adjustment ID starting with "A" managed in the adjustment history information D2 is stored.

[0064] In the item of "set ID and step number", a set ID assigned to each color measurement job and a step number that is the number of steps (order) of each event such as color measurement and adjustment performed in one color measurement job are stored. The set ID is composed of "one character of alphabet corresponding to the printer name", "MMYY" corresponding to the month and day in the color measurement execution date and time, "-" (hyphen), and "two-digit number as an identifier of the set ID". The step number is composed of a single digit number following the hyphen after the set ID.

[0065] The training data creation and provision unit 17 extracts the color measurement history and adjustment history from the color measurement verification result "Fail" to "Pass" in one color measurement job from the color measurement adjustment history information D3, and creates a training set D4 using the extracted information.

[0066] For example, in the color measurement adjustment history information D3, pay attention to the events managed in units of set ID "A0809-01". When arranging the events managed in units of set ID "A0809-01" in descending order, it becomes the color measurement with color measurement ID: M11 or the adjustments with adjustment ID: A152, adjustment ID: A151, adjustment ID: A150, and color measurement with color measurement ID: M10.

[0067] According to the color measurement history information D1 shown in FIG. 3, the determination result of the color measurement with color measurement ID: M11 is "Pass", and the determination result of the color measurement with color measurement ID: M10 is "Fail". Thus, the training data creation and provision unit 17 determines that each adjustment of adjustment ID: A152 to A150 performed between the color measurement with color measurement ID: M10 and the color measurement with color measurement ID: M11 in the color measurement adjustment history information D3 is an adjustment performed until the determination result becomes "Pass". That is, the information of each adjustment of adjustment ID: A152 to A150 is also information indicating the process of improving the color measurement value.

[0068] The training data creation and provision unit 17 takes the difference from the adjustment content performed immediately before in each adjustment of adjustment ID: A152 to A150, and records the improvement content indicated by the difference in the training set D4 in correspondence with the adjustment content.

[0069] Note that the color measurement history and adjustment history information to be recorded in the training set D4 is preferably limited to that performed within a predetermined threshold time. Color measurement or adjustment performed within several hours or the next day is likely to be performed on a printed matter printed by a printer with the set value changed. Therefore, it is better to exclude the adjustment performed after a time interval from the previous adjustment from the target to be treated as a series of color measurement history or adjustment history.

[0070] Since the time required for adjustment work or color measurement work varies depending on factors such as the operator's skill and the operation method of the printer, it is desirable that the color administrator or the like can set an appropriate threshold time value.

[0071] For example, assume that in a certain printing company, the time threshold is set to "1 hour". In this case, when each of the following steps (a) to (d) in color measurement ID: M10 to M11 and adjustment ID: A150 to A152 is completed within 1 hour, the training data creation and provision unit 17 records this history information in the training set D4.

[0072] (a) Steps from color measurement of color measurement ID: M10 to adjustment of adjustment ID: A150 (b) Each adjustment step up to adjustment ID: A150 to A151 (c) Each adjustment step from adjustment ID: A151 to A152 (d) Steps from adjustment ID: A152 to color measurement ID: M11

[0073] <Configuration of the training set> Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the configuration of the training set D4 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the training set D4.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 6, the training set D4 has items of "set ID", "step number", "event ID", "event details", and "improvement content".

[0075] In the "set ID" item, information excluding the last digit (corresponding to the step number) of the "set ID" in the color measurement and adjustment history information D3 shown in FIG. 5 is stored. That is, in the training set D4, a set of color measurement work or adjustment work composed of multiple steps is managed as one training set using the set ID.

[0076] In the item of "Step Number", a one-character numerical step number, which is the last digit of the "Set ID" in the color measurement adjustment history information D3, is stored. In the item of "Event ID", the "ID" information stored in the color measurement adjustment history information D3, that is, the color measurement ID or the adjustment ID, is stored.

[0077] In the item of "Event Details", information indicating the details of the color measurement or adjustment event is stored. For example, when the event is "color measurement", information such as "Pass" or "Fail" indicating the color verification result is stored. Also, when the event is "adjustment", the adjustment content such as "maximum density adjustment" and the information of the color for which the adjustment was made are stored.

[0078] In the item of "Improvement Content", detailed information on the improvement content in the set managed by the Set ID is stored. The improvement content includes, for example, color measurement values, improvement information on the deviation amount of the color measurement values before and after the adjustment of the color measurement values, etc. For example, in the item of the improvement content in the set managed by the Set ID "A0809-01", information such as "Color measurement value improvement, max dE00 = 10 → 7, ave dE00 = 7 → 6, …" is stored. That is, in the color measurement value, it is shown that the deviation amount from the maximum value (max) of the L*a*b value has been improved from "10" to "7" in dE00, and the deviation amount from the average value (ave) of the L*a*b value has been improved from "7" to "6" in dE00.

[0079] Note that the range of the color measurement history and the adjustment history managed by the training data creation and provision unit 17 with one Set ID is not limited to the range from "Fail" to "Pass" of the color verification result. When the color measurement value is improving, the color measurement history and the adjustment history between "Pass" and "Pass" of the color verification result may be used as a training set managed in association with one Set ID.

[0080] For example, take the color measurement and adjustment performed between the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M12" and the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M13" in the color measurement history information D1 shown in FIG. 4 as an example.

[0081] In color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M12", for example, the color measurement verification value of a patch with CMYK = {100, 0, 0, 0} is dE00 = 5.9, and since the set allowable value of Max. dE00 ≤ 6 is satisfied, the color verification result is considered "Pass". However, if the color measurement values of the primary colors C, Y, M, K (in this example, "C") are at the margin of the allowable values, color deviation may occur in the color mixture with other colors. To prevent such a situation from occurring, it is assumed that the maximum density of C is adjusted again with the aim of minimizing the deviation between the color measurement value of the primary color C and the color management target value. This adjustment is the one managed by the adjustment ID "A153" in the adjustment history information D2 shown in FIG. 4.

[0082] In the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M13" of the color measurement history information D1 performed after this adjustment, the color measurement verification value of the patch with CMYK = {100, 0, 0, 0} is dE00 = 3.7, which has a sufficient margin with respect to the allowable value of Max. dE00 ≤ 6. That is, the color measurement value has improved.

[0083] If there is an interval where such improvement is seen, the training data creation and provision unit 17 may record the color measurement history and the adjustment history between "Pass" and "Pass" of the color verification result as a training set. In the training set D4 of FIG. 6, the training set managed by the set ID "A0810 - 01" is created based on the color measurements and adjustments performed between the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M12" and the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M13" of the color measurement history information D1.

[0084] Note that only the content of the training set D4 generated by the training data creation and provision unit 17 that has been approved by the color administrator is preferably recorded in the storage unit 110 (see FIG. 1) as the official training set D4. Also, comments from the color administrator may be recorded in the training set D4.

[0085] <Configuration of User Information Table> Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the user information table T will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the user information table T. As shown in FIG. 7, the user information table T has items of "User ID", "User Name", "Password", "Email", "Training Settings", and "Color Administrator User ID".

[0086] In the item of "User ID", information of the user ID, which is an identifier of an operator (user) who takes training, is stored. In the item of "User Name", the name of the user is stored. In the item of "Password", information of the password that needs to be input when the user logs in to the color management server 10 is stored. In the item of "Email", the user's Email address is stored. In the item of "Training Settings", information on the training participation status of the user managed by the user ID is stored.

[0087] In the item of "Color Administrator User ID", information of the user ID of the color administrator is stored. The color administrator is a user who manages color management target values, has a higher authority than the authority of the operator, and gives instructions and conducts education for the operator.

[0088] For example, in the record of the first row of the user information table T, it is shown that the user ID is "Y-taro", the user name is "Taro Yamada", the password is "********", the Email address is "Y-taro@~", and the participation status is "All done". "All done" indicates that all trainings have been completed. Also, in the record of the first row, a color administrator with the user ID "T-ichiro" is associated with the user whose user name is "Y-taro".

[0089] In the second record of the user information table T, the user name is "Y-hanako", the password of the user with the user name "Hanako Yamada" is "********", the email address is "Y-hanako@~", and the training status is shown to be "Not attended A0809-1". "Not attended A0809-1" indicates that the user has not attended the training set managed by the set ID "A0809-1". Also, in the second record, a color administrator with the user ID "T-ichiro" is associated with the user with the user name "Y-hanako".

[0090] The user information table T is set by, for example, a color administrator. The color administrator can assign the set ID of the training set to be attended to any user. Note that the color administrator can also perform the assignment of the training set at the time of creating a new user account. By assigning a training set at the time of creating a new account, training can be provided to new employees and the like.

[0091] For example, when the training creation and provision unit 17 detects the login of the color management server 10 by the terminal device 20 operated by the operator, it refers to the user information table T and acquires the training status of the logged-in user. Then, the training creation and provision unit 17 causes the terminal device 20 from which the login was made to display a training status notification screen Sc (see FIG. 8).

[0092] <Training Status Notification Screen> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the training status notification screen Sc1. As shown in FIG. 8, the training status notification screen Sc1 has a training status display area Ar1, an OK button Bn1, and a cancel button Bn2.

[0093] In the training status display area Ar1, a message indicating the training participation status of the user logged in to the color management server 10 is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 8, a message "The following members have not completed training. Y-hanako: A0809-01" is displayed in the training status display area Ar1. This message indicates that the user with the user ID "Y-hanako" has not completed the training by the training set managed by the set ID "A0809-01".

[0094] When the OK button Bn1 is pressed, if there is uncompleted training, a training screen Sc2 based on the corresponding training set is displayed, and if there is no uncompleted training, it is a button to end the display of the training status notification screen Sc1. The cancel button Bn2 is a button to end the display of the training status notification screen Sc1.

[0095] When the training status notification screen Sc1 is displayed on the terminal device 20 when logging in to the management server 10 or the like, the user can grasp his / her own training status. Also, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to take the training.

[0096] After the user completes the training, information indicating that the corresponding training has been completed is recorded in the "Training Settings" item of the user information table T (see FIG. 7). Note that the timing for setting the training as completed may be the timing when the color verification result of the color measurement result becomes "Pass" by the actual adjustment performed by the user (operator) based on the training.

[0097] Also, the training data creation and provision unit 17 of the color management server 10 refers to the user information table T, checks the training implementation status for each user, and notifies the color administrator of the implementation status. Thereby, the color administrator can confirm the training implementation status of each operator he / she manages.

[0098] <Configuration of Training Screen> Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, the training screen Sc2 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the training screen Sc2 displayed at the start of training. At the upper part of the training screen Sc2 shown in FIG. 9, a phase display area Ar2 is provided. In the phase display area Ar2, information indicating the content of each phase of the training is schematically shown, and the phases in which the user is engaged and has completed are shown in a dark color. Below the phase display area Ar2, a training content display area Ar3 is provided. In the training content display area Ar3, the content of the training is displayed.

[0099] Below the training content display area Ar3, a cancel button Bn2 and a next button Bn3 are provided. The cancel button Bn2 is a button for ending the training at that point, and the next button Bn3 is a button for advancing the training to the next phase.

[0100] In the training screen Sc2 shown in FIG. 9, the training of the "First" phase is displayed, and in the training content display area Ar2, messages "Training: Start A0809-01." and "Please perform the operations in the following order." are displayed. Also, below that, the operations, that is, the procedures for color measurement and adjustment operations are shown as follows. "1. Color measurement 2. Calibration 3. Maximum density adjustment: CMYK 4. Density balance adjustment CMYK 5. Color measurement"

[0101] And the user receiving the training can perform the color measurement and adjustment operations according to the above instructions. Below the display area for the procedure of color measurement and adjustment operations in the training content display area Ar2, a message "Finally, please check the difference between the color measurement result in Step 1 and the color measurement result in the last Step 5, and check what improvements are seen by each adjustment operation in Steps 2 to 4." is displayed. By seeing such a display, the user undergoing the training can execute the confirmation operation based on the instructions.

[0102] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the training screen Sc2 when the training phase is "Maximum density adjustment: CMYK". In the training content display area Ar3 of FIG. 10, the following messages are displayed. "Please execute the following adjustments with reference to the printer manual.", "Maximum density adjustment: CMYK".

[0103] And below this message, information on the link (URL (Uniform Resource Locator)) to the printer manual that the user should refer to is displayed. By such a display being made, the user can execute the operation of "Maximum density adjustment: CMYK" instructed in the training while referring to the manual.

[0104] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the training screen Sc2 when the training phase is the last "Review". In the training content display area Ar3 of FIG. 11, the following messages are displayed.

[0105] "Please check the difference between the color measurement result of the color measurement performed in Step 1 and the color measurement result in the last Step 5, and check what improvements are seen by each adjustment operation in Steps 2 to 4. Improvements should be seen in the following items." And below the display area of this message, information on the items where improvements are assumed is shown as follows. "Color measurement judgment result · Max dE00 · Average dE00 etc."

[0106] This message is generated based on the information of the color measurement and adjustment history from the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M12" of the color measurement history information D1 to the color measurement managed by the color measurement ID "M13", which was referred to when creating the training set managed by the set ID "A0809-01". That is, since it is created based on the information of the achievements where the color measurement values have been improved, the user, the operator, can learn through training how to make specific adjustments in what order to improve what specific values.

[0107] Furthermore, the following message is displayed below the training content display area Ar3. "In the future, if you want to improve the color measurement values for the above items in the same way, please make the following adjustments." And below this message, the specific adjustment procedures are shown as follows. "· Calibration · Maximum density adjustment: CMYK · Density balance adjustment: CMYK"

[0108] By making such a display, the user can learn through training the content and procedures of the adjustments for improving the color measurement values when making the same adjustments in the future. Note that the content of the training shown on the training screen Sc2 is not limited to the above example. For example, on the training screen Sc2 shown in the final phase of the training, the color measurement and adjustment content and the improvement content in the actual history may be displayed.

[0109] For example, on the training screen Sc2, the information associated with the corresponding set ID in the training set D4 shown in FIG. 6 may be displayed on the training screen Sc2. By making such a display, the user, the operator, can also learn through training how to make specific adjustments in what order to improve what specific values.

[0110] Alternatively, the training data creation and provision unit 17 may display the information included in the color measurement adjustment history information D3 (see FIG. 5) directly on the display unit 520 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal device 20, rather than via the training screen Sc2. Since the operator can deepen their knowledge of color adjustment by checking the color measurement adjustment history information D3, that is, the correspondence information between the content of the color measurement adjustment performed by the printer 40 and the color verification result, this example can also improve the operator's skills.

[0111] <Color measurement adjustment history information generation process> Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the color measurement adjustment history information generation process by the training data creation and provision unit 17 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the color measurement adjustment history information generation process.

[0112] First, the training data creation and provision unit 17 identifies the printer 40 for which the color measurement adjustment history information D3 (see FIG. 5) is to be generated (step S1). Next, the training data creation and provision unit 17 acquires the color measurement history data of the printer 40 identified in step S1 from the color measurement history information D1 (see FIG. 3) (step S2). Next, the training data creation and provision unit 17 acquires the adjustment history data of the printer 40 identified in step S1 from the adjustment history information D2 (see FIG. 4) (step S3).

[0113] Next, the training data creation and provision unit 17 combines the color measurement history data acquired in step S2 and the adjustment history data acquired in step S3 in chronological order into a single piece of data (step S4). Next, the training data creation and provision unit 17 determines whether it has been able to acquire the time between each step in the data combined in step S4 (step S5). The time between steps is, for example, the elapsed time between the color measurement step (event) managed by the set ID and step number "A0809-01-01" shown in FIG. 5 and the next adjustment step managed by "A0809-01-02".

[0114] In step S5, when it is determined that the time between each step can be obtained (when step S5 is a YES determination), the training data creation and provision unit 17 determines whether the obtained time between steps is within the range of a predetermined threshold time (step S6). In step S6, when it is determined that it is within the range of the predetermined threshold time (when step S6 is a YES determination), a set ID is set for the combined data in step S4 (step S7).

[0115] On the other hand, in step S6, when it is determined that it is outside the range of the predetermined threshold time (when step S6 is a NO determination), the training data creation and provision unit 17 resets the set ID and generates and sets a new set ID (step S8). That is, in step S8, the training data creation and provision unit 17, for example, resets the set ID of "A0809-01" and generates a new set ID such as "A0809-02". After the process of step S7, the training data creation and provision unit 17 returns to step S5 to make a determination.

[0116] When there is no data for which to obtain the time between steps, step S5 becomes a NO determination, and the color measurement adjustment history information generation process by the training data creation and provision unit 17 ends.

[0117] <Training set generation process> Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the training set generation process by the training data creation and provision unit 17 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the training set generation process. The training set generation process is executed after the color measurement adjustment history information generation process shown in FIG. 12 is performed. That is, it is a prerequisite that the color measurement adjustment history information generation process is completed and the color measurement adjustment history information D3 is generated before the training set generation process in FIG. 13 is performed.

[0118] First, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 identifies color measurement events from the color measurement adjustment history information D3 and creates a list (step S11). For example, in the color measurement adjustment history information D3 shown in FIG. 5, the color measurement events include the color measurement event managed by the color measurement ID "M10" to the color measurement event managed by the color measurement ID "M13". Therefore, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 creates a list of these.

[0119] Next, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 determines whether the i-th and (i + 1)-th color measurement information can be obtained from the color measurement list generated in step S11 (step S12). If it is determined in step S12 that the i-th and (i + 1)-th color measurement information can be obtained (when step S12 is a YES determination), the training set generation process analyzes the color measurement results of the i-th and (i + 1)-th color measurement information obtained in step S12 (step S13).

[0120] Next, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 determines whether there are changes in the pass / fail of the color verification result, improvement contents, etc. in the (i + 1)-th color measurement result compared to the i-th color measurement result (step S14). In two measurements, when the color verification result changes from "Fail" to "Pass", or even when the color verification results are both "Pass" and there is no change, but there are improvements in the color measurement content, step S14 is a YES determination.

[0121] When step S14 is a YES determination, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 organizes the pass / fail of the color verification result and the improvement contents and records them in the ROM502 (see FIG. 2), etc. (step S15). Next, the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 records the adjustment contents and improvement contents in the adjustment event performed between the i-th and (i + 1)-th color measurement events (step S16). After the process of step S16, or when step S14 is a NO determination, that is, when there are no changes in the pass / fail of the color measurement result, improvement contents, etc., the color measurement training data creation and provision unit 17 returns to step S12 to make a determination.

[0122] When there is no list to be obtained, that is, when the acquisition of the last list in the list generated in step S11 is completed, step S12 results in a NO determination. When step S12 results in a NO determination, the training data creation and provision unit 17 extracts the adjustment content and improvement content in the adjustment events performed between the acquired color measurement events (step S17). Next, the training data creation and provision unit 17 records the extracted adjustment content and improvement content as the training set D4 (step S18). After the processing of step S18, the training set generation process by the training data creation and provision unit 17 ends.

[0123] According to the above-described training set generation process, one training set D4 is generated based on the color measurement history and adjustment history between "Pass" and "Pass" in the color verification result, or the color measurement history and adjustment history in the section where an improvement is seen in the color measurement result. That is, the training set D4 generated in the present embodiment is generated based on the adjustment history that was actually performed on-site and where an improvement was seen. Therefore, an operator who takes training based on the training set D4 can acquire the adjustment content for color management required on-site, which is not known from a general manual.

[0124] In addition, since the training set D4 is generated individually for each printer 40, an operator who takes training based on the training set D4 can understand the characteristics of the printer 40 and the adjustment method according to the characteristics. And by performing such training, not only can the color management skills of color managers be improved, but also the skills of operators can be improved, so that the color quality can be more stabilized.

[0125] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the training screen Sc2 for training that the user has not taken is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 20 when logging in to the color management server 10 or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the training data creation and provision unit 17 may preferentially display, on the training screen Sc2, training by the training set D4 having adjustment contents closest to the acquired adjustment status when acquiring the adjustment status of the printer at the time of the user logging in to the color management server 10. By performing such control, the user can perform the actual necessary adjustments on the printer while undergoing training.

[0126] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the training data creation and provision unit 17 selects the training set D4 generated based on the color measurement history and adjustment history of the printer 40 to be adjusted by the user as the training for the user to take. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the training set D4 may be used for training in other printers 40 such as printers with similar color output.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 1... Color management server, 10... Color management unit, 11... Control unit, 104... Printer information management unit, 105... User information management unit, 106... Color management target value management unit, 107... Printer color tracking management information management unit, 108a... UI control unit, D1... Color measurement history data, D2... Printer color tracking information - color measurement information correspondence data, D1... Printer information table, D2, D2′... User information table, D3... Color management target value table, D4... Printer color tracking management information table

Claims

1. A control unit that stores, in a storage unit as color measurement adjustment history information, by associating adjustment history information of an image forming apparatus with a color verification result obtained by verifying a color measurement result of a printed matter output from the image forming apparatus in a unit of the color verification; An output unit that acquires the color measurement adjustment history information and outputs it to a display device, A color management device.

2. The adjustment history information includes a history of adjustments for bringing the color measurement result of the printed matter output from the image forming apparatus closer to a color management target value that is a standard to be satisfied by the color measurement result, The color verification result is a determination result as to whether the color measurement result is a value within a range of a standard indicated by the color management target value The color management device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit records the adjustment history and the color verification result in the section where the color measurement result or the color verification result has improved as the color measurement adjustment history information The color management device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit records the adjustment history and the color verification result in the section where the color measurement result or the color verification result has improved as the color measurement adjustment history information until the color verification result changes from non-conforming to conforming The color management device according to claim 3.

5. The control unit records the adjustment history and the color verification result in the section where the color measurement result has improved based on the adjustment performed after the color verification result has become conforming as the color measurement adjustment history information The color management device according to claim 3.

6. The control unit records the adjustment history and the color verification result in which the implementation interval of each adjustment performed in the unit of the color verification is within a predetermined threshold time as the color measurement adjustment history information The color management device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The control unit further includes a training data creation and providing unit that creates training data based on the color measurement adjustment history information The color management device according to claim 6.

8. The training data includes history information on improvement of a difference value between the color measurement result and the color management target value The color management device according to claim 7.

9. The storage unit stores a user information table in which user information of an operator who performs the color verification, training status information based on the training data by the user, and user information of a color manager who has a higher authority than the authority of the operator and manages the color management target value are associated with each other. The color management device according to claim 8.

10. When the color verification result of the color measurement result passes due to the adjustment made by the user based on the training, the training data creation and provision unit changes the training completion status of the user in the user information table to "completed". The color management device according to claim 9.

11. The training data creation and provision unit transmits the training data associated with the user in the user information table to the terminal device on which login is performed using the identification information of the user managed in the user information table, and causes the display device to display a training screen for training based on the training data. The color management device according to claim 9.

12. The training data creation and provision unit monitors the training completion status of the user at a predetermined time interval, and transmits the monitored training completion status to the terminal device operated by the color manager. The color management device according to claim 9.

13. The training data creation and provision unit stores the training data for which an operation for approving the content by the color manager is input via the terminal device operated by the color manager among the created training data in the storage unit. The color management device according to claim 9.

14. A procedure in which the control unit stores in the storage unit the adjustment history information of the image forming apparatus and the color verification result obtained by verifying the color measurement result of the printed matter output from the image forming apparatus in association with each other in units of the color verification implementation, and A procedure in which the output unit acquires the color measurement adjustment history information and outputs it to the display device, An information output method.

15. A procedure in which the control unit stores in the storage unit the adjustment history information of the image forming apparatus and the color verification result obtained by verifying the color measurement result of the printed matter output from the image forming apparatus in association with each other in units of the color verification implementation, and A procedure in which the output unit acquires the color measurement adjustment history information and outputs it to the display device, which is executed by a computer. A program.

Images