Image inspection apparatus, image inspection method, and image inspection program

Abstract

To shorten time required for processing from generation of a reference image to image inspection.SOLUTION: An image inspection device includes: a reference image generation unit 311 that generates a reference image used for inspection of an image formed on a recording medium; an image inspection unit 312 that inspects the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image; and a reception unit 116 that receives inspection region designation information that is designation of an inspection region to be inspected by the image inspection unit 312 and / or designation of an inspection exclusion region not to be inspected, where the reception unit 116 receives the designation before generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 is completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reading device, an image forming system, and a control program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, quality inspection of printed matter has been performed by comparing a pre-registered reference image with an inspection image obtained by reading the printed matter to be inspected. For example, in Patent Document 1, as the reference image, in the case of the proof mode for confirming the finished product, image data derived from the original image used for printing is used, and in the subsequent main printing, in the proof mode, when reading a printed matter confirmed by the user to have no abnormality visually, the read image data obtained is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the user's process for generating the reference image used for main printing is complicated, and it is necessary to execute main printing after preparing the reference image through the proof mode in advance.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image inspection device, an image inspection method, and an image inspection program capable of further shortening the time required for processing from the generation of a reference image to image inspection as compared with the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following means.

[0007] (1) A reference image generation unit that generates a reference image for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, An image inspection unit that inspects the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image, and A reception unit that receives inspection area designation information that is designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed by the image inspection unit, and has: The reception unit receives the designation before generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit is completed, an image inspection apparatus.

[0008] (2) The reception unit according to the image inspection apparatus according to (1) above, wherein the reception unit receives the designation before or during generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit.

[0009] (3) An image forming unit that forms the image on the recording medium based on a document image, and A control unit that controls to transmit the document image to the reference image generation unit and the image forming unit, and further has: The control unit according to the image inspection apparatus according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the control unit transmits the received inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit.

[0010] (4) The control unit according to the image inspection apparatus according to (3) above, wherein the control unit causes the reference image generation unit to generate the reference image and the image forming unit to form the image on the recording medium in parallel.

[0011] (5) The reference image generation unit according to the image inspection apparatus according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the reference image generation unit acquires the inspection area designation information in the reference image being generated during generation of the reference image.

[0012] (6) The reference image generation unit according to the image inspection apparatus according to (5) above, wherein the reference image generation unit sets the acquired inspection area designation information in the reference image.

[0013] (7) A reference image generation step of generating a reference image for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, and An image inspection step of inspecting the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image; A reception step of receiving inspection area designation information which is designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed in the image inspection step; In the reception step, the designation is received before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation step. An image inspection method.

[0014] (8) A reference image generation step of generating a reference image used for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium; An image inspection step of inspecting the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image; A reception step of receiving inspection area designation information which is designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed in the image inspection step; In the reception step, the designation is received before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation step. An image inspection program for causing a computer to execute the process.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] The image inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a reference image generation unit that generates a reference image used for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, an image inspection unit that inspects the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image, and an inspection area designation information that is designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed by the image inspection unit. And a reception unit that receives the designation before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit is completed. By doing so, the time required for the process from the generation of the reference image to the image inspection can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 7C

Figure 7D

Figure 7E

Figure 7F

Figure 7G

Figure 7H

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the attached drawings. Also, the attached drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to define the scope of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image inspection apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment and a printing system 1000 including the same. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image inspection apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1000 includes terminal devices 80 and one or more image inspection apparatuses 100, which are communicatively connected by a network 90.

[0019] The terminal device 80 can be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like. A printer driver for converting manuscript data into a print job is installed in the terminal device 80. The terminal device 80 is used by a user such as an operator who operates the image inspection apparatus 100. The printer driver generates a print job in a format that can be handled by the print controller 13 (see FIG. 2 described later) of the image inspection apparatus 100 according to a user's instruction, and transmits the print job to the image inspection apparatus 100 through the network 90. Also, the terminal device 80 includes a display and can display inspection results (inspection results) (good / defective) of printed matter, images of defective printed matter, and the like.

[0020] A print job includes, for example, print data in the PDL (Page Description Language) format (hereinafter also referred to as manuscript image data or a manuscript image) and job setting information (hereinafter referred to as a job setting). The manuscript image includes, for example, a manuscript image consisting of the first to the nth pages. The job setting includes, for example, print settings such as the number of pages, the number of copies, the type, size, basis weight of the paper (recording medium), single-sided printing / double-sided printing, etc. The job setting also includes inspection conditions. The inspection conditions include the presence or absence of image inspection (inspection setting on / off), and when there is "image inspection", further include the types of the first and second inspection modes. The inspection conditions may also include inspection area designation information (described later). Further, in the second inspection mode, path information (file directory information) for designating a file of a registered reference image to be used is included. By setting the inspection to be enabled (turning on the inspection setting), the user can give an instruction for image inspection to the printing system 1000. The setting of the inspection conditions (inspection area designation information) can be set through an operation screen (for example, FIG. 7A described later) displayed by the printer driver.

[0021] (Image inspection device 100) The image inspection device 100 is also referred to as an image forming system. The image inspection device 100 includes an image forming device 10, a paper feeding device 20, an inspection unit 30, a purge device 40, and a post-processing device 50 that are mechanically and electrically connected to each other.

[0022] (Overview of the inspection unit 30) Although the details of the inspection unit 30 will be described later, the inspection unit 30 has a reference image generation unit 311 that generates a reference image used for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium (paper). The reference image generation unit 311 generates a reference image based on the manuscript image. The inspection unit 30 also has an image inspection unit 312 that inspects the image formed on the paper based on the reference image. The image forming device 10 (image forming unit 16) forms an image on the paper based on the manuscript image. The image inspection unit 312 inspects the image on the paper by comparing the inspection image obtained by reading the image on the paper based on the manuscript image with the reference image generated based on the same manuscript image.

[0023] (Image forming apparatus 10) The image forming apparatus 10 performs image formation on the paper fed from the paper feeding apparatus 20 on the upstream side and sent through the inspection unit 30. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 performs image formation on the paper fed from the paper feeding unit 14 of its own apparatus.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a main body control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a print controller 13, a paper feeding unit 14, a conveyance unit 15, an image forming unit 16, an operation panel 17, and a communication unit 19. These components are interconnected via signal lines such as a bus for signal exchange. In FIG. 2, the connection lines to some components such as the storage unit 12 and the print controller 13 in the image forming apparatus 10 are omitted. Similarly, in the inspection unit 30, the connection lines between some components are omitted.

[0025] (Main body control unit 11) The main body control unit 11 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and executes various processes by executing the programs stored in the ROM and the storage unit 12 described later, and performs control of each part of the apparatus and various arithmetic processes according to the programs. The main body control unit 11 functions as a printer main body control unit 111, an inspection unit main body control unit 112, an other apparatus main body control unit 113, an inspection execution instruction reception unit 115, an inspection area reception unit 116, and a data transmission unit 117. The details of each sub-function will be described later. The main body control unit 11 cooperates with the control unit 31 of the inspection unit 30, etc., to control the entire image inspection apparatus 100.

[0026] (Storage unit 12) The storage unit 12 consists of an auxiliary storage unit such as a hard disk that stores various programs and various data in advance. Further, the storage unit 12 also functions as a page memory (the same applies to the storage unit 32 described later).

[0027] (Print controller 13) The print controller 13 analyzes the print job received from the terminal device 80 through the network 90, executes processes such as color conversion, screening, and rasterization, and generates a manuscript image in bitmap format. The generated manuscript image is transmitted to the control unit 31. The print controller 13 functions as a manuscript image acquisition unit.

[0028] The print controller 13 receives a print job from the terminal device 80 or the like via the communication unit 19. The received print job includes print data (mainly in PDL format) that is the source of the manuscript image (also referred to as manuscript image data) and job information describing print settings such as the type of paper to be used. The print controller 13 performs rasterization (RIP) processing to convert the print data into page-based bitmap data based on the print settings. The RIP image after rasterization processing is temporarily stored in the image memory inside the print controller 13. The RIP image in the image memory is temporarily stored in the compressed memory area of the page memory in the storage unit 12. During normal printing, the RIP image stored in the compressed memory area is decompressed by the compression / decompression IC and sent to the image forming unit 16 as a manuscript image via the write processing unit, and printing is executed.

[0029] (Paper feeding unit 14, conveyance unit 15) The paper feeding unit 14 includes a plurality of paper feeding trays. The conveyance unit 15 includes a conveyance path. This conveyance path includes a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers provided along the conveyance path and a drive motor (not shown) for driving these pairs of conveyance rollers. The paper feeding unit 14 includes a delivery roller that feeds out the uppermost sheet among the plurality of sheets stacked and placed in the paper feeding tray, and feeds out the sheets in the paper feeding tray one by one to the downstream conveyance path.

[0030] (Image forming unit 16) The image forming unit 16 forms an image, for example, by an electrophotographic method. The image forming unit 16 includes a writing unit (laser exposure unit) corresponding to each of the basic colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), a photosensitive drum, and a developing device that houses a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier for each color, etc. Further, the image forming unit 16 further includes an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer unit, and a fixing unit. The toner images formed on the photosensitive drum by the developing devices for each color are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt and transferred to the paper conveyed in the secondary transfer unit. The toner image on the paper is fixed to the paper by being heated and pressed in the fixing unit on the downstream side.

[0031] (Operation panel 17) The operation panel 17 includes a touch screen, numeric keys, a start button, a stop button, etc. The operation panel 17 displays the state of the image forming apparatus 10 or the image inspection apparatus 100 and is used for inputting various settings and instructions from the user. Further, the inspection result by the inspection unit 30 is displayed, and the setting of inspection conditions and the input of execution instructions are accepted.

[0032] (Communication unit 19) The communication unit 19 is an interface for communicating with each device such as a PC on the network or other devices 20, 30, etc.

[0033] (Sub-functions 111 to 117) (Printer main body control unit 111) When a print job is input, the printer main body control unit 111 executes the print job based on the print job settings of the input print job. The print job is input by an instruction sent from the operation panel 17 or a terminal device 80 such as a PC connected to the network operated by the user. Further, the job settings include print settings and inspection conditions. The print settings include double-sided / single-sided, print paper type, post-processing conditions, etc. Details of the inspection conditions will be described later. For example, they are set by an operation screen such as FIG. 7A described later.

[0034] The printer main body control unit 111 controls the paper feeding and conveyance of the paper by controlling the paper feeding unit 14 and the conveyance unit 15. Further, the printer main body control unit 111 controls the image forming unit 16 to form an image on the paper under the set image forming conditions.

[0035] The inspection unit main body control unit 112 controls the inspection unit 30 in response to an execution instruction request (inspection instruction) from the printer main body control unit 111.

[0036] The other device main body control unit 113 controls the paper feeding device 20, the purge device 40, and the post-processing device 50. Specifically, the other device main body control unit 113 communicates with the paper feeding device 20 to transmit and receive the paper feeding tray to be used, the paper conveyance timing, etc. The other device main body control unit 113 transmits the paper conveyance timing, the main and sub conveyance paths of the paper to be conveyed, and the setting information of the post-processing to the post-processing device 50, etc.

[0037] (Inspection execution instruction reception unit 115, inspection area reception unit 116) The inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 receives inspection execution instructions for the first inspection mode and the second inspection mode. In the first inspection mode, before the generation of the reference image is completed, (a) the designation of the inspection exclusion area and / or (b) the designation of the inspection area (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as "inspection area designation information") are received. (a) The area designated as the inspection exclusion area is excluded from the inspection target. (b) The area designated as the inspection area is the inspection target. In the area designated as the inspection area, it is also possible to perform an inspection different from the normal one as described later. The reception of this inspection area designation information from the user is performed by the inspection area reception unit 116. In the second inspection mode, after the generation of the reference image is completed, the inspection area reception unit 116 receives the inspection area designation information. For examples of the operation screens provided by the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 and the inspection area reception unit 116, see later (Fig. 7A, etc.).

[0038] (First inspection mode) In the first inspection mode, the reference image generation process by the reference image generation unit 311 is executed based on the document image. Also, in the first inspection mode, before the generation of the reference image is completed, an instruction to execute the inspection is received. In the first inspection mode, in parallel with the image formation process of the inspection target image on the paper by the image formation unit 16 based on the document image, the reference image generation process by the reference image generation unit 311 is executed based on the same document image. It can be said that in the first inspection mode, the reference image is generated after receiving the inspection execution instruction. Also, in the first inspection mode, the timing for receiving the inspection area designation information from the user by the inspection area reception unit 116 is before the generation of the reference image is completed. Hereinafter, the timing for receiving the inspection area designation information will be described in detail.

[0039] (Timing for Receiving Inspection Area Designation Information in the First Inspection Mode) The reception of the inspection area designation information from the user by the inspection area reception unit 116 may be at any timing of "before the completion of the generation of the reference image", "before the start of the generation of the reference image", and "during the generation of the reference image". Here, when a single print job includes a plurality of document images corresponding to a plurality of pages, there may be a case where a plurality of reference images are generated based on each of the plurality of document images. "Before the completion of the generation of the reference image" means, with respect to the target print job, before the generation of the reference image corresponding to the last page is completed when generating a plurality of reference images. "Before the start of the generation of the reference image" means before starting the generation of the reference image for the first page in a plurality of pages. "During the generation of the reference image" means from the start of the generation of the reference image for the first page to immediately before the completion of the generation of the reference image corresponding to the last page in a plurality of pages.

[0040] (Second Inspection Mode) In the second inspection mode, there are two cases: using a scan image (read image) as the reference image and using the document image (converting the document image) in the same way as the first inspection mode. Hereinafter, the former is also referred to as the proof mode, and the latter is also referred to as the original image mode.

[0041] In the original image mode of the second inspection mode, the reference image generation process by the reference image generation unit 311 is executed based on the manuscript image. Then, the inspection is performed by receiving an instruction to execute the inspection using this image. Alternatively, in the second inspection mode, an inspection using a previously registered reference image is executed. The latter includes both cases of newly generating and registering a reference image for inspection and reusing a registered reference image.

[0042] Also, in the proof mode of the second inspection mode, a proof print of the manuscript image is made prior to this printing and the read image obtained by reading this with the inspection unit 30 is used as the reference image. In this case, when adopting it as the reference image, visual screening by the user is performed. This proof mode also includes both cases of newly generating and registering a reference image for inspection and reusing a registered reference image.

[0043] (Timing of receiving inspection area designation information in the second inspection mode) In the second inspection mode, basically, the acceptance of the inspection area designation information from the user by the inspection area reception unit 116 is after the generation of the reference image. However, it may be possible to receive the inspection area designation information before the generation of the reference image is completed. For example, when newly registering a reference image, the inspection area designation information is received before or during the generation of the reference image. By doing so, the user does not need to set the inspection area designation information later.

[0044] (Inspection area designation information) Next, the inspection area designation information will be described. FIG. 3 is an example of an inspection area profile showing the inspection area designation information received by the inspection area reception unit 116. The inspection area profile is described in text (CSV) format and includes items such as page number, area type, area setting, and barcode type. This inspection area profile is input and generated by the user using a text editor, spreadsheet software, etc. according to a predetermined format.

[0045] The inspection area designation information is described by the target area range (XY coordinate positions along the main scanning direction (X direction) and the sub-scanning direction (Y direction)) and its content, as shown in the "Area Setting" item. The area range is, for example, a rectangular area.

[0046] As shown in the "Area Type" item, for the area where the area type is designated as (a) "Excluded from Inspection", it is excluded from the inspection target. For the area where the area type is designated as (b) for inspection, there are further two types: "Designated Level" and "Barcode". For the areas designated with these area types, inspections different from normal are performed. If the area type is "Designated Level", for example, it is set for the area including the human skin of the face in the face photo image in the manuscript image, and in that area, the color inspection level is set strictly. Also, in the designation of the inspection area, the designation of "Barcode" is included in the area type. For example, the manuscript image may include barcodes (1D, 2D). In this case, the inspection unit 30 decodes the image within the inspection area designated with the barcode in the area type and compares it with the content of the "Barcode Type" item to inspect whether the barcode is printed correctly.

[0047] (Data transmission unit 117) The data transmission unit 117 transmits the manuscript image to the image forming unit 16 and the inspection unit 30 (particularly the reference image generation unit 311). Also, it transmits the inspection area designation information received by the inspection area reception unit 116 to the inspection unit 30 (particularly the reference image generation unit 311). In particular, the data transmission unit 117 transmits the manuscript image to the image forming unit 16 and the reference image generation unit 311 in response to receiving the execution of the first inspection mode by the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115, and at the same time, transmits the inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit 311. For example, in response to receiving the execution of the first inspection mode by the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115, the data transmission unit 117 immediately transmits the manuscript image to the image forming unit 16, and the manuscript image and the inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit 311 simultaneously. Also, the data transmission unit 117 transmits the manuscript image to the image forming unit 16 in response to receiving the execution of the second inspection mode by the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115.

[0048] Also, when the inspection area reception unit 116 receives the inspection area designation information from the user during the generation of the reference image, the data transmission unit 117 transmits the inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit 311 while the reference image generation unit 311 is generating the reference image.

[0049] (Paper Feeding Device 20) The paper feeding device 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a paper feeding unit and a conveying unit similar to those of the image forming apparatus 10. Further, the paper feeding device 20 includes, in addition to the conveying unit and the paper feeding unit, a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit (none of which are shown), and these are interconnected via signal lines such as a bus for signal exchange.

[0050] (Inspection Unit 30) Next, the inspection unit 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection unit 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an image reading unit 33, a conveying unit 34, a communication unit 39, etc. The control unit 31, the storage unit 32, the conveying unit 34, and the communication unit 39 each have the same hardware configuration as the main body control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the conveying unit 15, and the communication unit 19 of the above-described image forming apparatus 10, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] The image reading unit 33 reads a sheet of paper (printed matter) conveyed through the conveyance path, for example, by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The control unit 31 controls the scanner to read an image (inspection image) formed on the sheet of paper conveyed from the image forming apparatus 10 in accordance with a reading instruction from the inspection unit main body control unit 112. Further, the control unit 31 performs various processes such as analog processing, A / D conversion processing, and shading processing on the analog image signal output from the image reading unit 33 to generate digital image (read image) data.

[0052] (Control Unit 31) The control unit 31 functions as a reference image generation unit 311 and an image inspection unit 312.

[0053] The reference image generation unit 311 generates a reference image by performing the following various processes on the original image acquired by the image forming apparatus 10 (particularly the print controller 13).

[0054] The reference image generation unit 311 and the image inspection unit 312 may be configured with independent CPUs so that their respective reference image generation processes and image inspection processes can be performed in parallel. That is, the control unit 31 is composed of a plurality of CPUs. Alternatively, a multi-core CPU is applied as the CPU of the control unit 31. In the case of a multi-core CPU, the reference image generation unit 311 is assigned to a core different from the process of forming and inspecting the inspection image of the image inspection unit 312, and the generation of the reference image and the formation and inspection of the inspection image can be executed in parallel by different cores.

[0055] (Reference Image Generation Unit 311) The reference image generation unit 311 generates a reference image by performing various processes on the original image with respect to position, resolution, color, etc. The reference image generation unit 311 can extract the position information of the content part from the original image and add or embed the position information in the reference image so that the content parts of the reference image and the read image (inspection image) can be compared with each other. That is, the reference image generated by the reference image generation unit 311 has alignment information (also referred to as an alignment feature amount) for aligning the reference image and the inspection image when performing image inspection based on the reference image. Note that the alignment information includes contour information and edge information of the image. Further, the reference image generated by the reference image generation unit 311 has region information regarding the inspection region and the inspection exclusion region based on the inspection region designation information received by the above-described inspection region reception unit 116. Furthermore, the reference image generation unit 311 can generate a reference image by adjusting the resolution of the original image so as to match the resolution of the image reading unit 33 (scanner). Also, the reference image generation unit 311 can generate a reference image by converting the color space of the original image data so as to match the color space (e.g., RGB) adopted by the image reading unit 33.

[0056] The reason why the reference image generation unit 311 does not use the original image as it is is as follows. Ideally, the read image (inspection image) generated by reading the image formed on the paper is considered to match the original image in terms of content. However, when reading the inspection image formed on the paper by a scanner, errors may occur in the inspection image with respect to the original image due to various factors such as variations in the paper conveyance path, misalignment of the reading position by the scanner, color reproducibility, and differences in paper types. Also, errors may occur in the original image depending on the resolution of the scanner reading. Therefore, there is a high possibility of errors if the inspection image and the original image are simply compared, and it is not practical to inspect the inspection image by simply comparing it with the original image. Thus, in this embodiment, the reference image generation unit 311 is configured to generate a reference image by performing various processes on the original image regarding position, resolution, color, etc. so that it can be compared with the inspection image, and to compare the reference image with the inspection image. Thereby, since the comparison with the inspection image is appropriately performed, the inspection of printed matter can be carried out with high accuracy.

[0057] (Image inspection unit 312) The image inspection unit 312 performs image inspection based on the reference image. More specifically, the image inspection unit 312 acquires the reference image and the read image, and inspects the inspection image formed on the paper by comparing the reference image and the read image page by page.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of image inspection. The image inspection unit 312, for example, calculates the difference (error) in pixel values between the reference image and the inspection image page by page, and determines the quality of the inspection image according to the magnitude of the difference. The calculation of the difference can be performed page by page, object by object, or region by region. For example, when calculating the difference page by page, if the total value of the differences of the pixels within one page is less than a specified value, a "good" inspection result is output, and if the total value of the differences is greater than or equal to the specified value, a "bad" inspection result is output. Also, when calculating the difference object by object or region by region, it can be configured to output a "good" or "bad" inspection result according to the total value of the differences of the pixel values within the selected object or region.

[0059] When the inspection result of the inspection image is "good", the control unit 31 determines that the printed matter is a good product. When the inspection result of the inspection image is "bad", the control unit 31 determines that the printed matter is a defective product. The determination result is sent to the main control unit 11.

[0060] (Purge device 40) The purge device 40 is provided with a branch portion of the conveyance path, and includes a main conveyance path leading to the post-processing device 50 and a sub-conveyance path leading to a purge tray (disposed above the purge device 40 in FIG. 1). For example, sheets determined to be of poor quality in the inspection by the inspection unit 30 are discharged to the purge tray.

[0061] (Post-processing device 50) The post-processing device 50 performs post-processing on or discharges the sheets sent from the upstream image forming device 10 according to the settings of the print job. The post-processing device 50 includes a paper discharge tray, a post-processing unit, and a conveyance path. The post-processing device 50 also includes a control unit, a storage unit, a conveyance unit, and a communication unit (all not shown), which are interconnected via signal lines such as a bus for signal exchange. The post-processing unit performs at least one post-processing of stapling, punching, cutting, folding, and bookbinding on the image-formed sheets.

[0062] (Data flow in each component of the image inspection device 100) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the data flow in the processes of image formation and image inspection in the image inspection device 100 shown in FIG. 2.

[0063] The main control unit 11 acquires job settings (not shown) and a manuscript image from the print controller 13. The manuscript image is a RIP image obtained by rasterizing print data. The manuscript image is stored in the page memory. The job settings include information such as inspection conditions and print settings. The inspection conditions include whether image inspection is performed, and when image inspection is "yes", further include the types of the first and second inspection modes. Further, in the second inspection mode, path information (file directory information) for designating a file of a registered reference image to be used is included. In the example of FIG. 5, the description will be made assuming that mainly the first inspection mode is selected as the job setting. Also, in the example of FIG. 5, the manuscript image is described as being composed of n print data from pages 1 to n.

[0064] In the case of the first inspection mode, the main control unit 11 (data transmission unit 117) simultaneously transmits the manuscript image stored in the page memory to both the image forming unit 16 and the reference image generation unit 311. Also, the main control unit 11 (data transmission unit 117) transmits inspection area designation information (see FIG. 3) to the reference image generation unit 311. The transmission of the inspection area designation information by the data transmission unit 117 to the reference image generation unit 311 may be performed simultaneously with the transmission of the manuscript image. Or, the transmission of the inspection area designation information by the data transmission unit 117 to the reference image generation unit 311 may be performed at a timing after the transmission of the manuscript image and before the generation of the reference image is completed. For example, such a timing occurs when the inspection area reception unit 116 receives the manuscript image inspection area designation information after or during the start of the generation of the reference image.

[0065] The reference image generation unit 311 sequentially generates reference images 1 to n for pages 1 to n from the received manuscript image (pages 1 to n), and stores them in the storage unit 32.

[0066] In FIG. 5, x has an initial value of 1 and is a value that increments up to the nth page. The image forming unit 16 forms an image on paper in order from pages 1 to n. x is the current page value.

[0067] The image reading unit 33 reads the conveyed sheet (x-th page) and generates a read image. The read image obtained by reading is sent to the image inspection unit 312 as the inspection image for the x-th page via the page memory. Also, the reference image x for the corresponding x-th page is sent to the image inspection unit 312 from the storage unit 32 via the page memory.

[0068] The image inspection unit 312 inspects the inspection image by comparing the acquired reference image and the inspection image. Then, the control unit 31 (image inspection unit 312) outputs the inspection result of the inspection image to the main body control unit 11. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the reference image generated by the reference image generation unit 311 is an example stored in the storage unit 32, but it may be stored in the storage unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 10. Also, in FIGS. 2, 5, etc., the main body control unit 11 and the control unit 31 have been described as separate entities, but they may be integrally configured. That is, the control unit 31 may be integrated into the main body control unit 11.

[0069] Here, when the reception of the execution of the inspection in the first inspection mode by the first reception unit is performed, the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 and the formation of the image (inspection image) by the image forming unit 16 are executed in parallel. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing each process of the acquisition of the original image, the generation of the reference image, the formation of the inspection image, and the inspection of the inspection image in time series. In FIG. 6, the following processes are shown in order from the top. (Process 1) Acquisition of the original image by the main body control unit 11. (Process 2) Generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311. (Process 3) Formation of the image of the inspection target by the image forming apparatus 10 (image forming unit 16). (Process 4) Inspection using the inspection image and the reference image by the image inspection unit 312. Also, in FIG. 6, with n = 8, the printing and inspection processes of a total of 8 pages of the original image are shown. Regarding processes 3 and 4, the description of the processes after 3 and 4P (pages) is omitted.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 6, the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 and the formation (image formation) of the inspection image by the image formation unit 16 are executed in parallel. Specifically, the generation process of the reference image up to pages 1 to 8 and the image formation by the image formation unit 16 are executed in parallel.

[0071] (Setting of inspection conditions for image inspection) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H, the procedure for setting the inspection conditions for image inspection will be described.

[0072] FIGS. 7A to 7G are examples of operation screens (operation screens s1 to s7) for setting the inspection conditions for image inspection and giving an execution instruction. For print settings other than the inspection conditions regarding the print job job1 and the designation of the original image, they are performed on other operation screens (not shown). The operation screens s1 to s4 are displayed on the terminal device 80 or the operation panel 17 on which the printer driver is installed.

[0073] (Setting of inspection area designation information) On the operation screen s1 etc. of FIG. 7A, the user can set the inspection area designation information by operating the file selection button b0 and reading out the inspection area profile (see FIG. 3). In the display column b02 of the operation screen s2 shown in FIG. 7B, the file (file path) of the designated inspection area profile is displayed.

[0074] The timing for the user to specify this inspection area designation information is, as described above, "before the completion of the reference image" in the first inspection mode, and after the generation of the reference image is completed in the second inspection mode.

[0075] (Setting of inspection mode) The user can select either of the radio buttons b1 and b2 regarding the first and second inspection modes on the operation screens s1, s2, etc. Also, when the user selects b2, the user can further select either of b21 and b22.

[0076] (First inspection mode) Referring to FIGS. 7A to 7C, the acceptance of the first inspection mode will be described. The user selects button b1 on the operation screen s1 in FIG. 7A or the operation screen s2 in FIG. 7B and presses the job start button b3. As a result, the inspection execution instruction receiving unit 115 of the image inspection apparatus 100 receives an execution instruction from the image inspection unit 312 before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 is completed (first inspection mode). By receiving the execution instruction, the image inspection apparatus 100 immediately executes image formation and the inspection of the image generated thereby. The operation screen s3 shown in FIG. 7C is a screen that is displayed following the operation screen s1 in FIG. 7A or the operation screen s2 in FIG. 7B. When the user presses the job start button b3, the inspection execution instruction receiving unit 115 receives an execution instruction for the inspection in the first inspection mode. In response thereto, an operation screen s3 indicating that the first inspection mode shown in FIG. 7C has been accepted is displayed. Also, when inspection area designation information is specified as in the state shown in the operation screen s2, the inspection area designation information together with the original image is sent to the reference image generation unit 311.

[0077] (Second inspection mode) Referring to FIGS. 7D to 7H. As described above, in the second inspection mode, there are two types: a proof mode in which a read image obtained by reading a printed sheet is used as a reference image, and an original image mode in which a reference image is generated based on the original image. Also, in both the proof mode and the original image mode using the original image, there are two cases: a case where a reference image is newly generated and a case where a generated one is used (in many cases, it is reused, hereinafter referred to as reuse, etc.). When newly generating, button b21 is selected, and when using a generated one, button b22 is selected.

[0078] (New registration of reference image) On the operation screen s4 in FIG. 7D, the user selects button b2, further selects button b21, and presses the registration start button b6. Also, the selection of the original image mode or the proof mode is performed by selecting from the button group b7. In the operation screen s4, "Proof" is selected in the button group b7.

[0079] (Proof mode) In the case of the proof mode, based on the original image of the print job, the image forming unit 16 forms an image on the paper. Also, the inspection unit 30 reads the printed image on the paper and generates a read image. The user visually checks the image of the printed paper, and if there is no problem, by operating a registration button (not shown), the read image is registered as a reference image.

[0080] (Original image mode) When the original image mode is selected by the button group b7, by pressing the registration start button b6, the reference image generation unit 311 of the image inspection apparatus 100 newly generates a reference image based on the original image, and registers the generated reference image in the storage unit 32 or the like. By registering, the operation screen s5 in FIG. 7E is displayed. The user presses the job start button b5 on the operation screen s5. As a result, after the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 is completed, the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 of the image inspection apparatus 100 receives an instruction to execute an inspection by the image inspection unit 312. The operation screen s6 shown in FIG. 7F is a screen displayed following the operation screen s5 in FIG. 7E. When the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 receives an instruction to execute an inspection in the second inspection mode, the operation screen s6 is displayed.

[0081] (Reuse, etc. (Proof mode, original manuscript usage mode)) Next, with reference to FIG. 7G, the case of reusing the reference image or the like will be described. The user selects the buttons b2, b22 on the operation screen s7, and further presses the file selection button b4 (see the operation screen s1 or the like). As a result, a screen for the user to specify the file path pops up (not shown), and the user specifies the file of the reference image generated and registered in the past. This file of the reference image is stored, for example, in the storage unit 32 (or the storage unit 12).

[0082] On the operation screen s7 of FIG. 7G, the specified reference image (path of the reference image) is shown in the display column b42. To specify the inspection area designation information, the user can operate the file selection button b0 and read the inspection area profile (see FIG. 3) to set the inspection area designation information. In the display column b02 of the operation screen s2 shown in FIG. 7H, the file (path of the file) of the specified inspection area profile is displayed.

[0083] In FIG. 7H, press the job start button b5 on the operation screen s8. As a result, after the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 is completed, the inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 of the image inspection apparatus 100 receives an execution instruction for inspection by the image inspection unit 312 that has specified the inspection area designation information. Thereafter, even when the job start button b5 on the operation screen s8 is pressed, an operation screen s5 indicating that an execution instruction for inspection in the second inspection mode has been received is displayed. Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 9, the image inspection according to the setting of the inspection conditions and the execution instruction of the image inspection received by the operation screens from FIGS. 7A to 7H will be described.

[0084] (Outline of the image inspection method) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an image inspection method in a comparative example. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an image inspection method according to the present embodiment. In the image inspection method of FIG. 8, the main printing is performed through the proof mode, and in the image inspection method of FIG. 9, the main printing is performed in the first inspection mode. Here, the main printing is a concept paired with the proof printing (trial printing), and in the main printing, printing for products is performed.

[0085] (Comparative example) (Step S01) In the comparative example shown in FIG. 8, the image inspection apparatus 100 receives a document image and printing settings.

[0086] (Step S02) The image inspection apparatus 100 performs proof printing by the image forming apparatus 10. In proof printing, for example, images are formed on a plurality of sheets based on each of a plurality of page original images. The inspection unit 30 registers a read image obtained by reading the image on the printed sheet as a reference image.

[0087] (Step S03) Subsequently, the image inspection apparatus 100 receives inspection settings and inspection area settings regarding inspection area designation information. This reception is performed, for example, by the operation screen s8 in FIG. 7H.

[0088] (Step S04) The image inspection apparatus 100 executes the main printing. Also, the inspection unit 30 of the image inspection apparatus 100 uses the reference image generated and registered in step S02 to execute image inspection with the inspection area designation information set in step S03.

[0089] (This embodiment) (Step S11) In this embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the image inspection apparatus 100 receives an original image, printing settings, inspection settings, and inspection area settings. This reception is performed, for example, by the operation screen s2 in FIG. 7B.

[0090] (Step S12) The image inspection apparatus 100 executes the main printing. Also, the inspection unit 30 of the image inspection apparatus 100 generates a reference image based on the original image and uses the generated reference image to execute image inspection with the inspection area designation information set in step S11.

[0091] As described above, in the comparative example, two operations (steps S01 and S03) are required to execute the image inspection. In contrast, in this embodiment, the image inspection can be executed with one operation (S11). Therefore, in this embodiment, the user's operation is simplified compared to the comparative example, and the time required for the entire process from printing to image inspection can be shortened.

[0092] Next, referring to FIGS. 10 to 13, the details of the image inspection method in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the image inspection method in the present embodiment.

[0093] (Image inspection method) (Step S21) The image inspection apparatus 100 receives a print job. The print job includes job settings such as a document image (print data), print conditions, and inspection conditions. In the following, it will be described assuming that the document image includes image data of a plurality of pages from 1 to n pages, similar to the example in FIG. 5.

[0094] (Step S22) The main control unit 11 of the image inspection apparatus 100 determines the presence or absence of inspection settings by referring to the inspection conditions described in the job settings. When the main control unit 11 executes the inspection (YES), the process proceeds to step S23. When the inspection is not executed (NO), the process ends (end). In this case, normal image formation is performed without performing image inspection on the print job, and the description is omitted.

[0095] (Step S23) The inspection unit 30 receives inspection area designation information.

[0096] (Steps S24, S25) The image forming apparatus 10 forms an image on a sheet based on the document image and conveys it to the inspection unit 30. The inspection unit 30 reads the sheet conveyed by the image reading unit 33 and stores the read image as an inspection image. The inspection unit 30 also stores the document image transmitted from the main control unit 11.

[0097] (Step S26) The reference image generation unit 311 generates a reference image based on the document image. FIG. 11 is a subroutine flowchart showing the reference image generation process.

[0098] (Step S601) The reference image generation unit 311 reads out the original image stored in the page memory or the storage unit 32.

[0099] (Step S602) The reference image generation unit 311 performs resolution conversion and color gamut conversion processing on the original image to obtain the converted image data. This image data serves as the reference image.

[0100] (Step S603) If there is inspection area designation information (YES), the reference image generation unit 311 proceeds to step S603 for processing. If not (NO), it skips step S603. As the inspection area designation information, there are the designation of the inspection area and the designation of the inspection exclusion area as described above.

[0101] (Step S604) The reference image generation unit 311 sets the inspection area designation information in the reference image.

[0102] (Step S605) The reference image generation unit 311 extracts the alignment feature amounts from the reference image. The alignment feature amounts include the contour information and edge information of the image. Thus, the processing of FIG. 10 is completed and returns to the original processing.

[0103] (Step S27) The image inspection unit 312 executes an inspection on the inspection image generated in step S25. FIG. 12 is a subroutine flowchart showing the image inspection process.

[0104] (Step S701) The image inspection unit 312 reads out the reference image stored in the storage unit 32 or the page memory.

[0105] (Step S702) The image inspection unit 312 aligns the reference image and the inspection image. The alignment is performed by associating (matching) the feature amounts of the reference image extracted in step S605 with the feature amounts of the inspection image. The image inspection unit 312 performs the alignment of the two images by coordinate transformation or coordinate shift based on the association of the feature amounts.

[0106] (Steps S703, S704) The image inspection unit 312 takes the difference between the corresponding pixel values of the reference image and the inspection image after alignment, and determines the quality of the inspection image according to the magnitude of the difference. Thus, the process of FIG. 12 is completed and the process returns to the original process (return).

[0107] (Step S28) Referring to FIG. 10 again. Here, if the image inspection apparatus 100 has not completed all pages, the processes below step S23 are repeated. On the other hand, if all pages have been completed (YES), the process ends (end). The above is the image inspection process in the first inspection mode.

[0108] As described above, the image inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a reception unit that receives inspection area designation information which is designation of an inspection area to be inspected by the image inspection unit and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed. And this reception unit receives the designation before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit is completed. By having such a configuration, compared with the comparative example, the user's operation is simplified, and the effect of shortening the time required for the entire process from printing to image inspection can be obtained.

[0109] (Second Embodiment) Next, referring to FIG. 13, the image inspection process performed by the image inspection apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the generation of the reference image and the image formation are performed in parallel (for example, similar to FIG. 6). Also, similar to the above-described embodiment, inspection area designation information is received before the generation of the reference image.

[0110] In FIG. 13, the processing on the left side is mainly the processing performed on the image forming apparatus 10 side, and the processing on the right side is mainly the processing performed on the inspection unit 30 side. Among them, the processing surrounded by the dashed line is the processing performed by the image inspection apparatus 100 (particularly the print controller 13). Also, the processing on the image forming apparatus 10 side in steps S81 to S83 and the processing on the inspection unit 30 side in steps S91 to S98 are performed in parallel. That is, image formation by the image forming unit 16 and generation of a reference image by the reference image generation unit 311 are performed simultaneously. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, generation of the reference image for pages 3 to 4 by the reference image generation unit 311 is performed in parallel with formation of the inspection image for page 1 by the image forming unit 16. Also, the processing in step S95 and the processing in steps S96 and S97 may also be performed in parallel. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in step S95, generation of the reference image for page 5 is performed by the reference image generation unit 311, and at the same time, in step S96, the sheet to be inspected is read, and in step S97, the inspection image is inspected by the image inspection unit 312.

[0111] (Step S80) The image inspection apparatus 100 receives a print job. The print job includes a document image (print data), job settings such as inspection conditions, etc. In the following, it will be described assuming that the document image includes image data of a plurality of pages from 1 to n, similar to the example in FIG. 5.

[0112] (Step S81) The image forming unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives a document image (1 to n).

[0113] (Step S82) The image forming unit 16 forms an image on a sheet based on the document image. x has an initial value of 1 and is a value that increments up to the nth page. The image forming unit 16 forms an image on the sheet in order from pages 1 to n. x is the current page value. Note that the main body control unit 11 (or the control unit 31) may cause the image forming unit 16 to perform image formation after generation of the reference image for all pages (pages 1 to n).

[0114] (Step S83) The image forming apparatus 10 forms an image on a sheet of paper and conveys the sheet of paper on which the image has been formed to the inspection unit 30.

[0115] (Step S92) The main body control unit 11 of the image inspection apparatus 100 determines the presence or absence of inspection settings by referring to the inspection conditions described in the job settings. When the main body control unit 11 executes the inspection (YES), the process proceeds to step S13. When the inspection is not executed (NO), the process ends (end). In this case, normal image formation in which image inspection is not performed on the print job is performed, and the description is omitted.

[0116] (Step S91) The main body control unit 11 of the image inspection apparatus 100 determines the presence or absence of inspection settings by referring to the inspection conditions described in the job settings. When the main body control unit 11 executes the inspection (YES), the process proceeds to step S92. When the inspection is not executed (NO), the process ends (end). In this case, normal image formation in which image inspection is not performed on the print job is performed, and the description is omitted.

[0117] (Steps S92, S93) The inspection unit 30 receives the original image from the main body control unit 11. The control unit 31 stores the received original image in the page memory or the storage unit 32.

[0118] (Step S94) The inspection unit 30 receives the inspection area designation information from the main body control unit 11.

[0119] (Step S95) The reference image generation unit 311 generates a reference image based on the original image. The processing here is the same as in step S26, and the reference image is generated by the subroutine flowchart shown in FIG. 11.

[0120] (Step S96) The image reading unit 33 of the inspection unit 30 reads the sheet to be inspected (x-th page) conveyed from the image forming apparatus 10 and generates a read image. This read image is used as an inspection image.

[0121] (Step S97) The image inspection unit 312 performs an inspection on the inspection image of the x-th page read and generated in step S96. The processing here is the same as S27, and the image inspection is performed according to the subroutine flowchart shown in FIG. 12.

[0122] (Step S98) If all pages have not been completed, the image inspection apparatus 100 increments x and repeats the processing below steps S82 and S96. On the other hand, if all pages have been completed (YES), that is, if the inspection up to the n-th page (x = n) has been completed, the processing ends (end). As described above, it is also possible to perform the processing of step S95 in parallel with the processing of steps S96 and S97.

[0123] As described above, the image inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment has a reception unit that receives inspection area designation information, which is the designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed, by the image inspection unit, and the reception unit receives the designation before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit is completed. Further, the control unit (data transmission unit 117) controls to transmit the document image to the reference image generation unit and the image forming unit, and transmits the received inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit. Further, the main control unit 11 causes the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit and the formation of the image on the recording medium by the image forming unit to be performed in parallel. By having such a configuration, the user's operation is simplified compared to the comparative example, and since the image formation and the generation of the reference image are performed in parallel, the time required for the entire process from printing to image inspection can be further shortened.

[0124] The configuration of the inspection unit 30 described above and the image inspection apparatus 100 including the same has been described mainly for explaining the features of the above-described embodiment, and is not limited to the above configuration. Within the scope of the claims, various modifications can be made. Also, the configuration included in a general image forming apparatus is not excluded. The scope of the present invention should be construed by the appended claims.

[0125] The image inspection apparatus 100 may include a terminal device 80 having a display unit. The terminal device 80 is provided with an inspection execution instruction reception unit 115 and an inspection area reception unit 116, and receives an inspection execution instruction by operation screens s1, s2, etc. displayed on the display unit.

[0126] Also, the means and methods for performing various processes in the inspection unit 30 and the image inspection apparatus 100 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The above program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB memory or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is usually transferred and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. Also, the above program may be provided as a single application software, or may be incorporated into the software of the apparatus as one function of the apparatus.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 1000 Printing system 100 Image inspection apparatus 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Main body control unit 111 Printer control unit 112 Inspection unit control unit 113 Other device control unit 115 Inspection execution instruction reception unit 116 Inspection area reception unit 117 Data transmission unit 12 Memory unit 13 Print controller 14 Paper feeding unit 15 Conveying unit 16 Image forming unit 17 Operation panel 19 Communication unit 20 Paper feeding device 30 Inspection unit 31 Control unit 311 Reference image generation unit 312 Image inspection unit 32 Memory unit 33 Image reading unit 34 Conveying unit 39 Communication unit 40 Purge device 50 Post-processing device

Claims

1. A reference image generation unit that generates a reference image for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, an image inspection unit that inspects the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image, and a reception unit that receives inspection area designation information that designates an inspection area where the inspection is performed and / or designates an inspection exclusion area where the inspection is not performed by the image inspection unit, wherein the reception unit receives the designation before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit is completed, the image inspection apparatus.

2. The reception unit receives the designation before the start of the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit or during the generation of the reference image, the image inspection apparatus according to claim 1.

3. an image forming unit that forms the image on the recording medium based on a document image, and a control unit that controls to transmit the document image to the reference image generation unit and the image forming unit, wherein the control unit transmits the received inspection area designation information to the reference image generation unit, the image inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit causes the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation unit and the formation of the image on the recording medium by the image forming unit to be performed in parallel, the image inspection apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The reference image generation unit acquires the inspection area designation information in the reference image being generated during the generation of the reference image, the image inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The reference image generation unit sets the acquired inspection area designation information in the reference image, the image inspection apparatus according to claim 5.

7. a reference image generation step of generating a reference image for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, an image inspection step of inspecting the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image, and a reception step of receiving, in the image inspection step, inspection area designation information that designates an inspection area where the inspection is performed and / or designates an inspection exclusion area where the inspection is not performed, wherein, in the reception step, the designation is received before the generation of the reference image by the reference image generation step is completed, the image inspection method.

8. a reference image generation step of generating a reference image for inspecting an image formed on a recording medium, an image inspection step of inspecting the image formed on the recording medium based on the reference image, In the image inspection step, a reception step of receiving inspection area designation information that is designation of an inspection area where inspection is performed and / or designation of an inspection exclusion area where inspection is not performed, and In the reception step, an image inspection program for causing a computer to execute a process of receiving the designation before generation of a reference image by the reference image generation step.

Images