Information processing system and program

Abstract

To obtain higher reliability about a cause of image abnormality from a user looking at a diagnostic result in comparison with the case where a display of the diagnostic result of a read image is performed in a mode for displaying the image abnormality only in association with the cause.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes one or more processors. In the information processing system, the one or more processors acquire a read image being an image obtained by reading a diagnostic image of a recording medium outputted by image formation means by reading means, if the read image has an image abnormality as a result of diagnosis of the acquired read image, display a cause of the image abnormality in association with the image abnormality 31 and output existence of another image abnormality 33 having a cause being common when at least one of the displayed image abnormality 31 and the cause 31c of the image abnormality is designated by a user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an area of interest is selected within an image, and when the zoom level is changed, the image area is automatically moved left and right while maintaining the area of interest, the selected area of interest is maintained, and if there are a plurality of areas of interest, the number thereof is optimized and displayed.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A diagnostic image of a recording medium is output by an image forming means, the output diagnostic image is read by a reading means, and when there is an image abnormality in the read image by diagnosing the read image, the cause of the image abnormality is specified. The user can know the existence and cause of the image abnormality by viewing the screen that displays the diagnostic result. The user takes measures such as replacing parts according to the cause of the image abnormality so that the image abnormality does not occur. However, in a mode where the cause of the image abnormality is displayed only in association with the image abnormality, some users may find it difficult to determine whether it is reliable. An object of the present invention is to obtain higher reliability regarding the cause of an image abnormality from a user who has viewed the diagnostic result, as compared with a mode where the display of the diagnostic result of a read image is performed only in association with the cause of the image abnormality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The invention according to claim 1 is an information processing system comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors obtain a read image which is an image read by a reading means from a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming means, and when an image abnormality is present in the obtained read image as a result of diagnosing the obtained read image, causes of the image abnormality are displayed in association with the image abnormality, and when at least one of the displayed image abnormality and the cause of the image abnormality is specified by a user, outputs the existence of other image abnormalities sharing the cause, and is an information processing system. The invention according to claim 2 is the information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the designation by the user is a designation of a region including the image abnormality in the read image, and the output is performed when the designated region satisfies a predetermined condition. The invention according to claim 3 is the information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined condition is that only the image abnormality exists in the designated region. The invention according to claim 4 is the information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined condition is that only another image abnormality sharing the cause of the image abnormality exists in the designated region. The invention according to claim 5 is the information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the output is performed by displaying the designated region including the image abnormality and a region including the other image abnormality. The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing system according to claim 5, characterized in that a magnification with respect to the read image is set for the designated region and the region including the other image abnormality. The invention according to claim 7 is the information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the existence of the other image abnormality is information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality. The invention according to claim 8 is the information processing system according to claim 7, characterized in that the information for displaying at least a part of the other image anomalies is displayed when there is a designation by the user for the display of at least a part thereof. The invention according to claim 9 is the information processing system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the information for displaying at least a part of the other image anomalies is information for displaying any one that satisfies a predetermined display condition when there are a plurality of the other image anomalies. The invention according to claim 10 is a program for causing an information processing apparatus to realize an acquisition function of acquiring a read image, which is an image read by a reading unit from a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming unit, a display function of, when an image anomaly is present in the read image as a result of diagnosing the read image acquired by the acquisition function, displaying the cause of the image anomaly in association with the image anomaly, and an output function of outputting the existence of other image anomalies having a common cause when at least one of the image anomaly and the cause of the image anomaly displayed by the display function is designated by the user.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, compared with the case where the display of the diagnosis result of the read image is performed only in a manner of associating the cause with the image anomaly, higher reliability can be obtained from the user who has seen the diagnosis result regarding the cause of the image anomaly. According to the invention of claim 2, the designation by the user is a designation of a region including the image anomaly in the read image, and compared with the case where control for performing output when the designated region satisfies a predetermined condition is not adopted, the operation burden on the user can be reduced. According to the invention of claim 3, compared with the case where control where the predetermined condition is that only the image anomaly exists in the designated region is not adopted, it becomes easier for the user to compare image anomalies. According to the invention of claim 4, the predetermined condition makes it easier for the user to compare image anomalies than when control is not adopted where only another image anomaly with a common cause of the image anomaly exists in the designated area. According to the invention of claim 5, the output makes it easier for the user to compare image anomalies than when control is not adopted where the display is performed by displaying the designated area including the image anomaly and the area including other image anomalies. According to the invention of claim 6, regarding the designated area and the area including other image anomalies, the visibility for the user when comparing image anomalies can be improved compared to when control is not adopted where the magnification for the read image is set. According to the invention of claim 7, the presence of other image anomalies can improve the visibility for the user when comparing image anomalies compared to when control is not adopted where the information is the one that displays at least a part of the other image anomalies. According to the invention of claim 8, the information that displays at least a part of the other image anomalies can improve the operability of the user compared to when control is not adopted where the information is displayed when there is a user's designation for at least a part of the display. According to the invention of claim 9, the information that displays at least a part of the other image anomalies can reduce the burden on the user compared to when control is not adopted where the information is the one that displays any one that satisfies the predetermined display conditions when there are a plurality of other image anomalies. According to the invention of claim 10, compared to the case where the display of the diagnosis result of the read image is performed only by associating the cause with the image anomaly, higher reliability regarding the cause of the image anomaly can be obtained from the user who has seen the diagnosis result.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0007]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the diagnostic system 1. In the diagnostic system 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 100 and a server apparatus 200 connected to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 100 via a communication line 900 are provided. In the present embodiment, in the server apparatus 200 as an example of an information processing system and an example of an information processing apparatus, each of the image forming apparatuses 100 is diagnosed. Furthermore, the diagnostic system 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a user terminal 300 connected to the server apparatus 200 and accepting operations from the user. Note that in FIG. 1, two of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 100 are shown.

[0009] The user terminal 300 is provided with a display device 310. The user terminal 300 is realized by a computer. Examples of the form of the user terminal 300 include a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, and a tablet terminal. The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with an image forming unit 100A as an example of image forming means for forming an image on a sheet which is an example of a recording medium. The formation of an image on a sheet by the image forming unit 100A is performed using, for example, an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method. Note that the formation of an image on a sheet by the image forming unit 100A is not limited to the inkjet method or the electrophotographic method, and other methods may be used. The image forming apparatus 100 is further provided with an information processing unit 100B. The information processing unit 100B executes various processes performed on the image forming apparatus 100.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the server device 200 and the information processing unit 100B provided in the image forming apparatus 100. The server device 200 and the information processing unit 100B provided in the image forming apparatus 100 are realized by a computer. Each of the server device 200 and the information processing unit 100B has an arithmetic processing unit 11 that executes digital arithmetic processing according to a program, and a secondary storage unit 12 that stores information. The secondary storage unit 12 is realized by an existing information storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor memory, or a magnetic tape.

[0011] The arithmetic processing unit 11 is provided with a CPU 11a as an example of a processor. In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 11 is provided with a RAM 11b used as a working memory of the CPU 11a and the like, and a ROM 11c in which programs executed by the CPU 11a and the like are stored. In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 11 is provided with a non-volatile memory 11d configured to be rewritable and capable of holding data even when the power supply is interrupted, and an interface unit 11e that controls each unit such as a communication unit connected to the arithmetic processing unit 11.

[0012] The non-volatile memory 11d is composed of, for example, an SRAM backed up by a battery, a flash memory, or the like. In addition to storing files and the like, the secondary storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11. In the present embodiment, each process is executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 reading the programs stored in the ROM 11c and the secondary storage unit 12.

[0013] The program executed by CPU11a can be provided to the server device 200 and the information processing unit 100B in a state stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. Also, the program executed by CPU11a may be provided to the server device 200 and the information processing unit 100B using communication means such as the Internet.

[0014] In this specification, the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense and includes a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). Also, the operation of the processor may be performed not only by one processor but also by a plurality of physically separated processors cooperating with each other. Also, the order of each operation of the processor is not limited to the order described in this embodiment and may be changed.

[0015] Among the processes described below, the processes performed by the image forming apparatus 100 are performed by CPU11a as an example of a processor provided in the image forming apparatus 100. Also, among the processes described below, the processes performed by the server device 200 are performed by CPU11a as an example of a processor provided in the server device 200. Also, in the processes described below, the processes regarding the diagnosis of the image forming apparatus 100 are performed by the server device 200 as an example of an information processing system. The information processing system that performs the processes regarding the diagnosis of the image forming apparatus 100 may be realized by one device such as one server device 200 or may be realized by a plurality of devices.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the image forming apparatus 100. In the present embodiment, as described above, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with an image forming unit 100A that forms an image on a sheet P, which is an example of a recording medium. In the present embodiment, when the sheet P passes through the image forming unit 100A, the sheet P passes through the image forming unit 100A with one side of the sheet P facing the image forming unit 100A.

[0017] The image forming apparatus 100 is also provided with an image reading device 130 as an example of an image reading means for reading an image formed on a recording medium such as the sheet P. This image reading device 130 is a so-called scanner having a conveyance function for the sheet P. The image reading device 130 includes a light source that emits light irradiated on the sheet P and a light receiving unit such as a CCD that receives the reflected light from the sheet P. In the present embodiment, read image data described later is generated based on the reflected light received by this light receiving unit. The image reading position is preset in the image reading device 130, and the image reading device 130 reads the image of the portion of the sheet P located at this reading position among the sheets P conveyed in sequence. The image forming apparatus 100 also has an information transmission function for transmitting information to the server device 200 (see FIG. 1).

[0018] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the image reading device 130 is provided above the image forming apparatus 100. The image reading device 130 sequentially reads a sheet (not shown) set by the user. This sheet is not limited to a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 100, and may also be a sheet on which an image has been formed by another image forming apparatus. Note that the installation mode of the image reading device 130 is not limited to the mode shown in FIG. 3, and the image reading device 130 may be provided inside the image forming apparatus 100 and on the conveyance path of the sheet P (see FIG. 4). In this case, the sheet P on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 100A passes through this image reading device 130 in order, and when passing through, each image of the sheet P is read in order.

[0019] Also, in this embodiment, the image reading device 130 is provided with a paper reversing mechanism, and it is possible to supply the paper after reversing the front and back with respect to the image reading position. As a result, in this embodiment, the sheet on which the image formed on one side has been read can be reversed and supplied to the reading position again, and thus, the images on the front and back surfaces of the sheet can be read. In addition, when reading the image of the sheet, the sheet may be placed on a platen (not shown) constituted by a plate-shaped glass or the like, and the sheet placed on the platen may be read.

[0020] Furthermore, each of the image forming devices 100 is provided with an operation reception unit 132 that receives operations from the user. This operation reception unit 132 is constituted by a so-called touch panel. In the operation reception unit 132, information is displayed to the user and operations performed by the user are received. Note that the display of information to the user and the reception of the user's operations are not limited to being performed by one operation reception unit 132 as in this embodiment, and an operation reception unit and an information display unit may be provided separately.

[0021] In this embodiment, when diagnosing the image forming device 100 (see FIG. 1), first, the image forming unit 100A is operated to form a chart image 61 on the sheet. As a result, as indicated by reference numeral 1A, a chart sheet CP, which is a sheet on which a chart image 61, which is an example of a diagnostic image, is formed, is generated. The chart image 61 is an image used for diagnosing the image forming device 100. In this embodiment, a chart sheet CP, which is a sheet on which the chart image 61 used for this diagnosis is formed, is generated.

[0022] When the chart paper CP is generated, as shown by reference numeral 1B in FIG. 1, this chart paper CP is installed in the image reading device 130. Then, the image reading device 130 is used to read the chart paper CP on which the chart image 61 is formed. Thereby, the read image data obtained by reading the chart paper CP is generated. In this embodiment, this read image data is transmitted to the server device 200 and stored in the server device 200. The server device 200 diagnoses the image forming apparatus 100 based on this read image data. In this embodiment, a user who uses the diagnostic system 1 of this embodiment, such as a maintenance person who performs maintenance on the image forming apparatus 100, accesses the server device 200 and refers to the result of the diagnosis by this server device 200.

[0023] In each of the image forming apparatuses 100, in this way, the chart paper CP is generated, and the chart paper CP is read to generate read image data. Then, this read image data is transmitted to the server device 200. And, as described above, in this embodiment, the server device 200 diagnoses the image forming apparatus 100.

[0024] The diagnostic process by the server device 200 will be described. In this embodiment, the CPU 11a (see FIG. 2), which is an example of a processor provided in the server device 200, diagnoses the image forming apparatus 100 based on the above-described read image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 100, and obtains a diagnostic result that is the result of the diagnosis. More specifically, the CPU 11a obtains a diagnostic result that is a diagnostic result for the chart image 61, which is an image formed on the above-described chart paper CP, and a diagnostic result for each of a plurality of diagnostic items.

[0025] In this embodiment, a plurality of diagnostic items are predetermined, and the CPU 11a of the server device 200 analyzes the chart image 61 included in the read image data, and obtains a diagnostic result for each of the plurality of diagnostic items. More specifically, the CPU 11a of the server device 200 obtains a diagnostic result for each of the plurality of diagnostic items based on, for example, the difference between a reference value predetermined for each of the plurality of diagnostic items and the value obtained by analyzing the chart image 61. The CPU 11a of the server device 200 obtains a diagnostic result with a worse evaluation as the difference is larger.

[0026] Next, the CPU 11a rearranges the plurality of obtained diagnostic results so that they are arranged in a predetermined order. More specifically, when rearranging the plurality of diagnostic results, the CPU 11a rearranges the plurality of diagnostic results so that, for example, they are arranged in descending or ascending order of evaluation. Thereafter, the CPU 11a generates a screen in which the plurality of diagnostic results are arranged in this predetermined order.

[0027] Next, when a problem is found in the diagnostic result, a configuration for distinguishing whether the problem is caused by the image forming unit 100A (see FIG. 3) that forms an image on the paper or the image reading device 130 (see the same figure) that reads the image on the paper will be described. Such a configuration is realized by the image reading device 130 and the CPU 11a in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of forming an image on a sheet P in the image forming apparatus 100, showing the case of an electrophotographic system. The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with an image forming unit 100A and a sheet conveying unit 190. Further, the above-described image reading device 130 is disposed at the sheet discharge position of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0029] The image forming unit 100A is provided with an image forming unit 140, an intermediate transfer belt 150, a secondary transfer unit 160, a fixing unit 170, and a post-processing unit 180. In this embodiment, as the image forming unit 140, four image forming units 140Y, 140M, 140C, and 140K corresponding to each of the four colors of toner, namely Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), are provided.

[0030] The image forming units 140Y, 140M, 140C, and 140K are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 150, and form a toner image by an electrophotographic method. Each of the image forming units 140Y, 140M, 140C, and 140K includes a photosensitive drum 141, a charging unit 142, an exposure unit 143, a developing unit 144, and a primary transfer unit 145. Each of the image forming units 140Y, 140M, 140C, and 140K forms a toner image of any one of the colors YMCK, and transfers this toner image onto the intermediate transfer belt 150. As a result, a toner image in which the toner images of the respective colors YMCK are superimposed is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 150.

[0031] The photosensitive drum 141 rotates in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. Also, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141. The charging unit 142 charges the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141 to a predetermined potential. The exposure unit 143 irradiates light onto the circumferential surface of the charged photosensitive drum 141 to form an electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141. The developing unit 144 adheres toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141 to form a toner image.

[0032] The primary transfer unit 145 transfers the toner image formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141 onto the intermediate transfer belt 150. A voltage of the opposite polarity to the charging polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer unit 145. As a result, the toner image formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 141 is sequentially electrostatically attracted onto the intermediate transfer belt 150, and a color toner image that overlaps in one layer is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 150.

[0033] The intermediate transfer belt 150 is supported by a plurality of roll-shaped members. The intermediate transfer belt 150 is formed in an endless shape and circulates and moves in the direction of arrow B. Further, the intermediate transfer belt 150 includes an outer circumferential surface 154 and an inner circumferential surface 155. The intermediate transfer belt 150 is used for transporting the toner image. In the present embodiment, the toner image is formed on the outer circumferential surface 154 of the intermediate transfer belt 150, and this toner image is transported to the secondary transfer unit 160 by the movement of the intermediate transfer belt 150.

[0034] In the present embodiment, as a roll-shaped member disposed inside the intermediate transfer belt 150, a drive roll 151 that is driven by a motor (not shown) to drive the intermediate transfer belt 150 is provided. Further, as roll-shaped members, an idle roll 153 that supports the intermediate transfer belt 150 and a backup roll 164 are provided. These roll-shaped members are rotatably provided and pressed against the inner circumferential surface 155 of the intermediate transfer belt 150.

[0035] The paper transport unit 190 includes a transport path 191 that takes out the paper P from a paper storage unit (not shown) and transports it to the secondary transfer unit 160, a reversing path 192 that branches between the fixing unit 170 and the post-processing unit 180 and reverses the paper P fixed by the fixing unit 170 to turn it inside out, and a transport path 193 that guides the paper P reversed in the reversing path 192 to the transport path 191. In the case of double-sided printing, it is transported by the reversing path 192 and the transport path 193.

[0036] The conveyance path 191 is formed so as to convey the sheet P fixed by the fixing device 170 to the post-processing unit 180 and then discharge it from the image forming apparatus 100. The sheet P discharged from the image forming apparatus 100 passes through the image reading device 130. The post-processing unit 180 mentioned here is, for example, a device that performs processes such as binding a stack of sheets, folding a sheet, cutting a sheet, and bookbinding. In the case of the chart sheet CP, it is discharged without undergoing post-processing, and the chart image 61 (see FIG. 1, for example) is read by the image reading device 130. The image reading device 130 includes a reading unit 131 located above the area through which the sheet passes and a reading unit 133 located below. In the case of single-sided printing, the image is read by the upper reading unit 131, and in the case of double-sided printing, the images on both sides are read at once by the upper reading unit 131 and the lower reading unit 133.

[0037] The secondary transfer unit 160 is provided with a secondary transfer conveyance belt 161 that is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface 154 of the intermediate transfer belt 150. The secondary transfer conveyance belt 161 is a semiconductive endless annular belt stretched by a driving roll (transfer roll) 162 made of a metal such as SUS and a driven roll 163 made of, for example, a rubber roll. The secondary transfer conveyance belt 161 is conveyed at a predetermined speed by the driving roll 162, and a predetermined tension is applied by the driving roll 162 and the driven roll 163. In addition, the secondary transfer unit 160 is provided with a backup roll 164 that is arranged on the inner peripheral surface 155 side of the intermediate transfer belt 150 and serves as the counter electrode of the secondary transfer conveyance belt 161, and a power supply roll 165 made of metal that applies a secondary transfer bias to the backup roll 164. The secondary transfer unit 160 configured as described above transfers the toner image conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 160 by the intermediate transfer belt 150 onto the conveyed sheet P.

[0038] The fixing device 170 is disposed on the downstream side in the paper P conveyance direction from the secondary transfer unit 160. The fixing device 170 is provided with a fixing roll having a heat source and a pressure roll provided so as to face the fixing roll. The fixing device 170 melts the unfixed toner image on the paper P and fixes it on the paper P. Thereby, an image composed of a toner image is formed on the paper P.

[0039] Next, a method for identifying the cause of image abnormality will be described. FIG. 5 is a table for explaining a method for identifying the cause of image abnormality. (a) shows various image forming conditions when generating a chart paper CP (see FIG. 1), and (b) shows the identified causes. The table shown in FIG. 5(a) lists various image forming conditions when generating the chart paper CP in the image forming apparatus 100. The various image forming conditions are three conditions: (1) normal conditions, (2) no exposure conditions, and (3) no charging and no exposure conditions.

[0040] (1) In the case of normal conditions, in the image forming unit 140, charging of the photosensitive drum 141 by the charging unit 142, exposure by the exposure unit 143, and development by the developing unit 144 are performed. The image developed on the photosensitive drum 141 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 150 by the primary transfer unit 145. (2) In the case of no exposure conditions, transfer to the intermediate transfer belt 150 is performed without performing exposure by the exposure unit 143 only. (3) In the case of no charging and no exposure conditions, transfer to the intermediate transfer belt 150 is performed without performing charging by the charging unit 142 and exposure by the exposure unit 143 only.

[0041] The display shown in FIG. 5(b) describes the presence or absence of image abnormality occurrence in each of the cases of "(1) normal conditions", "(2) no exposure conditions", and "(3) no charging and no exposure conditions". Based on the combination of the presence or absence of image abnormality occurrence, the causes are identified as exposure, drum, and development.

[0042] <When it is identified that the cause is exposure> When streaks appear under normal conditions, if the same streaks do not appear under non-exposure conditions or under non-charging and non-exposure conditions, the cause of the streaks is identified as exposure by the exposure unit 143. That is, they are exposure streaks.

[0043] <When the cause is identified as the drum> When streaks appear under normal conditions, if the same streaks appear under non-exposure conditions but do not appear under non-charging and non-exposure conditions, the cause of the streaks is identified as surface deterioration of the photoreceptor drum 141. That is, they are drum streaks.

[0044] <When the cause is identified as development> When streaks appear under normal conditions, if the same streaks appear under non-exposure conditions and also under non-charging and non-exposure conditions, the cause of the streaks is identified as development by the developing unit 144. That is, they are development streaks.

[0045] Next, the functional configuration of the CPU 11a according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the CPU 11a provided in the server device 200, and also shows the image forming apparatus 100 and the user terminal 300 for convenience of explanation. As shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 11a includes a diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 and a screen generation unit 14.

[0046] <Diagnosis result acquisition unit 13> The diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 acquires a diagnosis result that is the result of diagnosis performed on the read image 30 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 100. The diagnosis is performed for each of the diagnosis items predetermined according to the chart image 61 (see FIG. 1) included in the read image 30. Therefore, the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 acquires the diagnosis results for each of the predetermined diagnosis items and performs processing.

[0047] More specifically, the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 according to this embodiment acquires a diagnosis result regarding a streak-like image extending in one direction that is an image abnormality in the read image 30. The diagnosis result referred to here includes detection information as to whether or not a streak-like image has occurred, and specific information indicating the cause identified when a streak-like image has occurred. Note that the streak-like image referred to here is a so-called printer streak that occurs during image formation.

[0048] As a configuration for the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 to acquire a diagnosis result regarding a streak-like image by image analysis of the read image 30, as shown in FIG. 6, it includes a profile calculation unit 13a, an image abnormality determination unit 13b, and a cause identification unit 13c.

[0049] The profile calculation unit 13a calculates an averaged brightness profile of the read image 30. The image abnormality determination unit 13b uses the averaged brightness profile calculated by the profile calculation unit 13a to detect an image abnormality existing in the read image 30.

[0050] Note that the image abnormality determination unit 13b according to this embodiment uses the averaged brightness profile calculated by the profile calculation unit 13a, but other methods, for example, a method of outputting / reading a chart sheet CP (see FIG. 1) with different conditions and determining an image abnormality based on the width and density of the streak, may also be considered. When adopting such a method, the configuration is such that the profile calculation unit 13a is omitted.

[0051] The cause identification unit 13c identifies the cause of the detected image abnormality. Examples of such a cause include a case where the cause is exposure by the exposure unit 143 (see FIG. 4), and a case where the cause is surface deterioration of the photosensitive drum 141 (see the same figure).

[0052] <Screen generation unit 14> The screen generation unit 14 generates a screen for notifying the user of the acquired diagnosis result. The generated screen, i.e., the generated screen 50, is transmitted from the server device 200 to the user terminal 300 and is displayed on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 to notify the user.

[0053] Next, the processing of the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 (see FIG. 6) will be described in more detail. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing by the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13, where (a) shows the read image 30, (b) shows the averaged brightness profile, and (c) shows the diagnosis result. The processing of the profile calculation unit 13a will be explained with reference to FIG. 6(a), the processing of the image abnormality determination unit 13b will be explained with reference to FIG. 6(b), and the diagnosis result after the processing of the cause identification unit 13c will be explained with reference to FIG. 6(c).

[0054] Regarding a part 30a of the read image 30 shown in FIG. 7(a), the profile calculation unit 13a (see FIG. 6) obtains the brightness profile. Such a brightness profile shows the brightness variation in the arrow X direction. More specifically, the brightness profile is the averaged brightness profile 30b (see FIG. 7(b)) obtained by averaging the brightness in the arrow Y direction in the part 30a. As for the calculation of the average, for example, simple average, root mean square, and weighted average are conceivable. In the read image 30 shown in FIG. 7(a), streaks 31, 32, and 33 extending in the arrow Y direction appear. The streaks 31 to 33 are an example of image abnormality.

[0055] For the averaged brightness profile 30b shown in FIG. 7(b), the image abnormality determination unit 13b (see FIG. 6) sets the average brightness 30c and a predetermined threshold value 30d. In the averaged brightness profile 30b illustrated in FIG. 7(b), there are vertices 31a, 32a, and 33a. The vertex 31a corresponds to the streak 31, the vertex 32a corresponds to the streak 32, and the vertex 33a corresponds to the streak 33. All of the vertices 31a to 33a exceed the threshold 30d. Therefore, the image abnormality determination unit 13b determines that the vertices 31a to 33a are image abnormalities. The image abnormality is determined by focusing on the contrast.

[0056] Through the image analysis of the read image 30 shown in Fig. 7(a), the cause identification unit 13c identifies the cause of each of the streaks 31 to 33. Such identification shows that the streaks 31 and 33 are caused by the exposure by the exposure unit 143 (see Fig. 4), and the streak 32 is caused by the surface deterioration of the photoreceptor drum 141 (see Fig. 4). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7(c), on the result display screen 41 by the screen generation unit 14, corresponding to the streak 31 of the read image 30, a triangular mark 31b indicating the position of the streak 31 and the character "exposure" indicating the cause are attached. Corresponding to the streak 32, a triangular mark 32b indicating the position and the character "drum" indicating the cause are attached. Corresponding to the streak 33, a triangular mark 33b indicating the position and the character "exposure" indicating the cause are attached. The result display screen 41 mentioned here is one of the generation screens 50 (see Fig. 6).

[0057] Here, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the difference between the vertex 31a and the average brightness 30c is the difference Δ31. The differences between the vertices 32a, 33a and the average brightness 30c are the differences Δ32, Δ33, respectively. Among the differences Δ31 to Δ33, the difference Δ33 of the vertex 33a is the largest, and the difference Δ31 of the vertex 31a is the smallest (Δ31 < Δ32 < Δ33). The larger the difference, the clearer the image abnormality appears in the read image 30, and the easier it is for the user to recognize. Therefore, the streak 31 corresponding to the vertex 31a is difficult to confirm, and the streak 33 corresponding to the vertex 33a is easy to confirm.

[0058] In such a case, when there is a streak 31 as an image abnormality and only showing the user on the result display screen 41 that the cause is exposure, the user may have difficulty determining whether it is a reliable result. That is, although the cause other than the image abnormality can be identified by automatic analysis, it is assumed that the accuracy is not high. If the cause is not accurate, it is necessary to visually separate the cause or re-obtain the members necessary for countermeasures, which increases the trouble for the user. Also, for example, even if numerical values are shown, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to intuitively understand only from the numerical information.

[0059] Therefore, in the present embodiment, when detecting a user's operation on the result display screen 41, information that is easy to intuitively understand is notified according to the operation. That is, the notification screens 42 and 43 (see, for example, FIGS. 10(b) and 11), which are screens for identifying the image abnormality that the user has focused on through the operation and presenting other image abnormalities with the same cause as the identified image abnormality, are provided. Note that on the result display screen 41, the character 31c of "exposure" indicating the cause is displayed in association with the streak 31. Also, on the result display screen 41, the character 32c of "drum" indicating the cause is displayed in association with the streak 32, and the character 33c of "exposure" indicating the cause is displayed in association with the streak 33. The result display screen 41 is an example of a display in which the cause of the image abnormality is associated with the image abnormality.

[0060] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the notification screen 42 will be described. The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8, and the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Also, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, and the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. Note that the notification screen 43 will be described in the third embodiment.

[0061] 〔First Embodiment〕 Next, the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the first embodiment. (a) shows the case where the result display screen 41 is displayed on the display device 310, and (b) shows the case where the notification screen 42 is displayed on the display device 310. The result display screen 41 and the notification screen 42 are generated by the screen generation unit 14 (see FIG. 6).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8(a), when the server device 200 acquires a diagnosis result based on the read image data of the chart sheet CP transmitted from the image forming device 100, the result display screen 41 is generated. The generated result display screen 41 is displayed on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300.

[0063] The result display screen 41 includes the read image 30, and diagnosis results which are triangular marks 31b to 33b and characters 31c to 33c indicating the causes corresponding to each of the streaks 31 to 33 in the read image 30. The character 31c of "exposure" indicating the cause is attached to the streak 31, the character 32c of "drum" indicating the cause is attached to the streak 32, and the character 33c of "exposure" indicating the cause is attached to the streak 33.

[0064] When the user who has confirmed such a result display screen 41 designates the character 31c of the streak 31 with the cursor 411 as shown in FIG. 8(a), for example, being concerned about the "left white streak", that is, the streak 31 among the streaks 31 to 33, the screen on the display device 310 is switched from the result display screen 41 to the notification screen 42. The result display screen 41 and the notification screen 42 are one of the generation screens 50 (see FIG. 6).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 8(b), on the notification screen 42, the display modes of the triangular mark 31b and the character 31c of "exposure" of the designated streak 31 are changed from the display modes of the result display screen 41 shown in FIG. 8(a). Also, for the streak 33 which has the same cause as the streak 31, the same change in the display mode is made. That is, the triangular mark 33b and the character 33c of "exposure" of the streak 33 become the same as the display mode of the streak 31.

[0066] As the display mode mentioned here, in Fig. 8(b), the triangular marks 31b and 33b are white, and the characters 31c and 33c of "exposure" are in bold, but it is not limited to this. For example, colors can be cited. For example, changing the color from black to red to attract the user's attention, etc. Note that on the notification screen 42, the display mode of the line 32 has not been changed.

[0067] In this way, on the notification screen 42 according to the first embodiment, the lines 31 and 33 that the user selects with the cursor 411 on the result display screen 41 and have common causes are highlighted more than the line 32 that does not have common causes. The user can compare the widths, densities, etc. of the lines 31 and 33. That is, the notification screen 42 can provide information that is intuitive and easy for the user to understand. Note that the users who refer to the diagnosis results include not only the users on the user side but also the repairers shown in Fig. 8(a) who have received repair requests from the users. In the first embodiment, the character 31c of "exposure" indicating the cause of the line 31 is an example of the cause of the image abnormality specified by the user, and the line 33 is an example of other image abnormalities with common causes. In addition, the notification screen 42 in which the display mode of the line 33 is different from that of the result display screen 41 is an example of the output of the existence of other image abnormalities with common causes.

[0068] 〔Second Embodiment〕 Next, the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the second embodiment, (a) shows the case where the result display screen 41 is displayed on the display device 310, and (b) shows the case where the notification screen 42 is displayed on the display device 310. Note that the illustration and description until the user terminal 300 transmits the result display screen 41 and the notification screen 42 are common to the case of the first embodiment (see Fig. 8), so they are omitted. The same applies to the third embodiment (see Figs. 10 and 11) and the fourth embodiment (see Fig. 12) described later. In the captured image 30 of the result display screen 41 shown in Fig. 9(a), the same streaks 31 to 33 as in the case of the first embodiment (see Fig. 8(a)) are detected.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 9(a), when a range 41a is specified by a user's input operation on the result display screen 41 displayed on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300, the streaks existing within the range 41a are identified. Since only the streak 31 exists in the specified range 41a, the streak 31 is identified. Thus, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment (see Fig. 8(a)) where the streak 31 is specified by selecting the character 31c of the streak 31 with the cursor 411, the streak 31 is specified by range specification that specifies the range 41a including the streak 31. For this reason, in the case of selecting a plurality of streaks where the range 41a includes streaks other than the streak 31, for example, it is conceivable to additionally display on the result display screen 41 a character prompting re-range specification.

[0070] Here, the range 41a specified by the user is an example of an area including an image abnormality in the captured image. Also, the fact that only the streak 31 exists in the specified range 41a is an example of a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition mentioned here refers to a condition for identifying the cause of the streak that the user is interested in based on the range 41a specified by the user. Examples include the case where only one streak is included within the range 41a, or the case where a plurality of streaks are included within the range 41a and the causes of the plurality of streaks are common.

[0071] When the streak 31 is identified by the range specification of the range 41a, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the display device 310 switches from the result display screen 41 to a notification screen 42 which is another screen. The notification screen 42 according to the second embodiment includes an explanation 71 indicating that there is a streak 33 with the same cause as the streak 31, an enlargement display section 72 that enlarges and displays a range 41a including the streak 31, and an enlargement display section 73 that enlarges and displays a range 41b including the streak 33. The enlargement display sections 72 and 73 are enlarged and displayed side by side on the left and right so that the streak 31 in the enlargement display section 72 and the streak 33 in the enlargement display section 73 can be easily compared. The notification screen 42 is arranged so that it is easy to compare the streak 31 and the streak 33. In the notification screen 42 according to the second embodiment, the enlargement display section 72 is an example of a specified area including an image abnormality, and the enlargement display section 73 is an example of an area including another image abnormality.

[0072] In this embodiment, the explanation 71 includes the text "Streaks are also generated for the same reason outside the enlarged areas." This notifies the user that there is a streak 33 that can be compared with the streak 31.

[0073] The enlargement display section 72 has a display 72a including the text "Enlarged (200%)" indicating the magnification, a display 72b including the text "Same cause streak" explaining the enlargement display section 73 and a rightward symbol indicating that the enlargement display section 73 is on the right side, and a scale 72c indicating the position of the streak 31.

[0074] The enlargement display section 73 has a display 73b indicating that the cause of the streak 31 is exposure, and a scale 73c indicating the position of the streak 33 with the same cause as the streak 31. In the second embodiment, since the magnification of the enlargement display section 73 is the same as that of the enlargement display section 72, there is no display corresponding to the display 72a of the enlargement display section 72, but it may be provided.

[0075] Regarding the magnification, further explanation is as follows. The magnification of the enlargement display section 72 and the magnification of the enlargement display section 73 may be different values in addition to the case where they are the same value. More specifically, the magnification of the enlarged display unit 72 may be automatically set according to the size of the range 41a (see FIG. 9(a)), and it is conceivable to display the enlarged display unit 73 at the automatically set magnification. Further, the enlarged display unit 73 may be displayed at a magnification different from the automatically set magnification. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to manually set the magnification of the enlarged display unit 72 and the magnification of the enlarged display unit 73 respectively. The automatic setting and manual setting of the magnification mentioned here are examples of the magnification setting for the read image. In the second embodiment, an example of enlarged display has been described, but it is also conceivable to adopt an example of displaying at the same magnification without enlarged display or an example of reduced display.

[0076] The triangular mark 31b indicating the position of the streak 31 in the enlarged display unit 72 and the character "exposure" 31c indicating the cause, and the triangular mark 33b indicating the position of the streak 33 in the enlarged display unit 73 and the character "exposure" 33c indicating the cause have different display modes. That is, for the streak 33 to be compared with the streak 31 selected by the user, the user's attention is drawn more than to the streak 31.

[0077] In this way, on the notification screen 42 according to the second embodiment, the streak 31 included in the range 41a specified by the cursor (not shown) on the result display screen 41 by the user and the streak 33 having the same cause as the streak 31 are enlarged and displayed. By displaying the streaks 31 and 33 in the enlarged display units 72 and 73 arranged side by side on the left and right in the notification screen 42, the comparison between the two becomes easy, and information that is intuitive and easy for the user to understand can be provided.

[0078] 〔Third Embodiment〕 Next, the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the third embodiment, (a) shows the case where the result display screen 41 is displayed on the display device 310, and (b) shows the case where the notification screen 42 is displayed on the display device 310. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a notification screen 43 that notifies more detailed content than the notification screen 42 in FIG. 10(b).

[0079] In the captured image 30 of the result display screen 41 shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the streaks 31 to 33 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 8(a)), a streak 34 is detected. For this reason, the result display screen 41 includes a triangular mark 34b corresponding to the streak 34 in the captured image 30 and a diagnostic result that is the character 34c of "exposure" indicating the cause.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 10(a), when a range 41a is specified by a user input operation with respect to the result display screen 41, the streaks 31 and 34 are specified as the streaks existing within the range 41a. The specified streaks 31 and 34 have common causes, and thus, it switches to the notification screen 42 shown in FIG. (b) of the same figure. In this way, it switches to the notification screen 42 when only the streaks 31 and 34 with the common cause of "exposure" exist in the specified range 41a. That is, it is the case where, while the streaks 31 and 34 with the common cause of "exposure" exist in the range 41a, the streak 32 whose cause is "drum" other than "exposure" does not exist. The streak 34 is an example of another image abnormality. The fact that only the streak 34 exists in addition to the streak 31 in the specified range 41a is an example of a predetermined condition.

[0081] Here, if the causes of the streaks 31 and 34 are not common, since the cause cannot be specified as one, it does not switch to the notification screen 42. It is conceivable to prompt the user for another specification. That is, although it is allowed to specify a plurality of streaks by an operation on the character 31c of the cursor 411 in the result display screen 41 (see FIG. 8(a)) or by specifying the range 41a of the cursor (not shown in the figure), if the causes of the plurality of streaks are not common, it does not switch to the notification screen 42.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 10(b), similar to the case of the second embodiment (see FIG. 9(b)), the notification screen 42 includes an explanation 71 and an enlarged display section 72. As described above, such an enlarged display section 72 enlarges and displays the range 41a. On the other hand, the notification screen 42 according to the third embodiment does not include the enlarged display section 73 (see FIG. 9(b)) included in the notification screen 42 according to the second embodiment.

[0083] More specifically, in the enlarged display section 72 according to the third embodiment, two streaks 31 and 34 with common causes are displayed. The enlarged display section 72 also has characters 31c, 34c of "exposure" corresponding to the streaks 31 and 34 and triangular marks 31b, 34b indicating positions. Therefore, the user can compare the widths and densities of the streaks 31 and 34 by means of the enlarged display section 72 of the notification screen 42.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 10(b), the enlarged display section 72 of the notification screen 42 has streaks 31, 34 and a display 72b including a rightward symbol suggesting that there is an enlarged display section 73 on the right side and the character "there are streaks with the same cause" (see FIG. 11). When the user wants to compare with other streaks having common causes, if the user designates the display 72b of the notification screen 42 with the cursor 411, the screen is switched to the notification screen 43 shown in FIG. 11.

[0085] The notification screen 43 shown in FIG. 11 is obtained by adding an enlarged display section 73 to the notification screen 42 shown in FIG. 10(b) and corresponds to the notification screen 42 in the case of the second embodiment (see FIG. 9(b)). As a result, the enlarged display section 73 of the notification screen 43 is the same as the enlarged display section 73 in the case of the second embodiment (see FIG. 9(b)). More specifically, in the notification screen 43 shown in FIG. 11, the streaks 31 and 34 of the enlarged display section 72 and the streak 33 of the enlarged display section 73 are displayed. That is, only the streaks 31, 33, and 34 with common causes are displayed on such a notification screen 43, and the streak 32 of other causes is not displayed. Therefore, the user can compare the widths and densities of the streaks 31, 33, and 34 using the notification screen 43.

[0086] In the third embodiment, in response to an operation of the user's cursor (not shown) on the result display screen 41, the notification screen 42 shown in FIG. 10(b) shows an overview of the streaks included in the range 41a. And when it is desired to display other streaks having common causes with the streaks included in the range 41a, on the notification screen 43 shown in FIG. 11 in response to an operation of the cursor (not shown), other streaks are displayed and details about the streaks having common causes are shown. In the third embodiment, such notification screens 42 and 43 provide notifications to the extent according to the user's designation, but it is also conceivable to apply them to the second embodiment described above and the fourth embodiment described later.

[0087] Here, the notification screen 43 according to the third embodiment is an example of information that displays at least a part of other image abnormalities. Further, the enlarged display section 73 of the notification screen 43 is displayed when there is an operation on the display 72b of the notification screen 42, and is an example of information that is displayed when there is a designation by the user for at least a part of the display.

[0088] 〔Fourth Embodiment〕 Next, the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the display on the display device 310 of the user terminal 300 according to the fourth embodiment. (a) shows a case where the result display screen 41 is displayed on the display device 310, and (b) shows a case where the notification screen 42 is displayed on the display device 310. In the captured image 30 of the result display screen 41 shown in FIG. 12, streaks 31, 33 to 38 are detected. The cause of each of the streaks 31, 33 to 38 is "exposure", and the causes are common. For this reason, the result display screen 41 includes diagnostic results which are triangular marks 31b, 33b to 38b corresponding to the streaks 31, 33 to 38 in the captured image 30 and the characters "exposure" indicating the cause, i.e., 31c, 33c to 38c.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 12(a), when a range 41a is specified by a user's input operation with respect to the result display screen 41, streaks 31 and 34 are specified as the streaks existing within the range 41a, and the screen switches to the notification screen 42. The notification screen 42 includes an explanation 71 and enlarged display portions 72 and 73. In this regard, the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment (see FIG. 9(b)).

[0090] The enlarged display portion 73 displays streaks 36 to 38 other than the streaks 31 and 34 displayed in the enlarged display portion 72 among the detected streaks 31, 33 to 38. The selection of such streaks 36 to 38 is made according to predetermined display conditions. As the predetermined display conditions, it may be considered that all streaks not displayed in the enlarged display portion 72 are selected. Further, when the magnification of the enlarged display portion 73 is the same as that of the enlarged display portion 72, since the number of displayed streaks is limited, as the predetermined display conditions, for example, it may be considered to be in the order of brightness contrast.

[0091] Next, the processing in the case of enlarged display in the above-described second embodiment, third embodiment, and fourth embodiment will be described. That is, the enlarged display here is the mode performed in the second embodiment to the fourth embodiment described above. Hereinafter, the processing in the case of enlarged display will be described by dividing it into preprocessing and display processing performed after the preprocessing. The preprocessing will be described with reference to FIG. 13, and the display processing will be described with reference to FIG. 14.

[0092] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining preprocessing. (a) is an example of a flowchart of a process for creating a contrast table as preprocessing, and (b) shows an example of a contrast table. In the processing example shown in FIG. 13(a), the image abnormality determination unit 13b (see FIG. 6) of the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 described above detects the streaks in the read image 30 based on the averaged brightness profile (see FIG. 7(b)) by the profile calculation unit 13a (step 101). For each detected streak, the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 (see FIG. 6) acquires each piece of information of "contrast", which is the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of brightness, and "streak position", which indicates the position with respect to the origin (for example, the left end) of the read image 30.

[0093] The cause identification unit 13c (see FIG. 6) of the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 identifies the causes of all the detected streaks by image analysis (step 102). Through such identification, the diagnosis result acquisition unit 13 (see FIG. 6) acquires the information of "streak cause", which is the cause of each streak.

[0094] Then, sorting is performed for each streak based on "contrast", that is, sorting in the order of contrast (step 103). For each streak after sorting, an ID such as a consecutive number is assigned. As a result, a contrast table in which the information of each streak is arranged in the order of contrast is created.

[0095] The contrast table illustrated in FIG. 13(b) shows the read image 30 (see FIG. 10(a)) in the above-described third embodiment. The contrast table has columns for ID, contrast, streak position, and streak cause, and the information for each streak is listed, showing each of the streaks of ID1 to ID4. According to this contrast table, the streak causes of ID1, ID3, and ID4 are "exposure", and the streak cause of ID2 is "drum". Here, ID1 is the streak 33 (see FIG. 9(a)) in the case of the third embodiment, ID2 is the streak 32 (see FIG. 9(a)), ID3 is the streak 34 (see FIG. 9(a)), and ID4 is the streak 31 (see FIG. 9(a)).

[0096] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining display processing, where (a) is an example of a flowchart of display processing, and (b) to (d) show information acquired or selected in the steps of (a). In the processing example shown in FIG. 14(a), the screen generation unit 14 (see FIG. 6) determines whether the notification screen 42 (see, for example, FIG. 9(b)) is to be enlarged and displayed (step 201). As an example of such determination, it is determined that enlargement and display will be performed when the range 41a (see, for example, FIG. 9(a)) is specified, and it is determined that enlargement and display will not be performed when, for example, the rib character 31c (see FIG. 8(a)) is specified.

[0097] When enlargement and display is to be performed (Yes in step 201), the screen generation unit 14 (see FIG. 6) first acquires information indicating the currently displayed coordinate range (step 202) in order to acquire the cause of the rib within the enlarged range that is the range 41a, and then acquires the rib within the coordinate range (step 203). Unlike the case of the third embodiment (see FIG. 10(a)), the rib within such a coordinate range is only the rib 31 in the range 41a, and as shown in FIG. 14(b), it is assumed to be the rib with ID4. Then, the screen generation unit 14 (see FIG. 6) determines whether there is one cause of the acquired rib within the display range (step 204). The cause of the rib with ID4 is "exposure", and there is one cause.

[0098] When there is one cause of the rib (Yes in step 204), that rib, namely rib 31, is displayed on the enlarged display unit 72 (see FIG. 9(b)). When there is not one cause of the rib (No in step 204), the processing ends. Note that when enlargement and display is not to be performed (No in step 201), the processing ends.

[0099] When there is one cause of the streak (Yes in step 204), a process for selecting the display streak among the streaks outside the coordinate range is performed. That is, streaks outside the coordinate range and having the same cause are acquired (step 205). The streaks outside the enlarged range are streaks ID1, ID2, and ID3. The causes of ID1 and ID3 are "exposure", and the cause of ID2 is "drum". Therefore, the streaks selected in step 205 are streaks ID1 and ID3, as shown in FIG. 14(c).

[0100] Among the corresponding streaks that are the streaks acquired in step 205, the streak with the maximum contrast is selected (step 206). The corresponding streaks are streaks ID1 and ID3. The contrast of ID1 is 10, while the contrast of ID3 is 3. Therefore, the streak selected in step 206 is streak ID1, as shown in FIG. 14(d), and only streak ID1 is displayed on the notification screen 42. The notification screen 42 on which only streak ID1 is displayed is an example of information that displays any one of the predetermined display conditions. Note that when there is one streak selected in step 205, the streak selected in step 206 is the same as the streak selected in step 205.

[0101] Next, an enlarged display portion 73 (see FIG. 9(b)), which is a coordinate range adjacent to the enlarged display portion 72 on the notification screen 42, is generated (step 207). In the adjacent enlarged display portion 73, streak ID1, that is, streak 33, is displayed (step 208, see FIG. 9(b)). Thereby, the process ends.

[0102] As described above, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the user has noticed any image abnormality, if there are other image abnormalities having the same cause as the noticed image abnormality in the read image 30, they are notified. More specifically, when the user selects an image abnormality, if there is an image abnormality with a common cause within the read image 30, this may be displayed. Also, when only a single image abnormality is selected by the user's zoom operation, if there is an image abnormality with a common cause outside the zoom range, this may be displayed. Further, when only image abnormalities with a common cause are selected by the user's zoom operation, if there is an image abnormality with a common cause outside the zoom range, this may be displayed.

[0103] <Appendix> (((1))) An information processing system including one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors obtain a read image which is an image read by a reading means of a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming means, when there is an image abnormality in the obtained read image as a result of diagnosing the read image, associate the cause of the image abnormality with the image abnormality and display it, when at least one of the displayed image abnormality and the cause of the image abnormality is specified by the user, output the existence of other image abnormalities having a common cause. Information processing system. (((2))) The specification by the user is a specification of a region including the image abnormality in the read image, and when the specified region satisfies a predetermined condition, the output is performed. The information processing system according to (((1))), characterized in that. (((3))) The predetermined condition is that only the image abnormality exists in the specified region. The information processing system according to (((2))), characterized in that. (((4))) The predetermined condition is that only another image abnormality having a common cause of the image abnormality exists in the specified region. The information processing system according to (((2))), characterized in that. (((5))) The output is performed by displaying the specified area including the image abnormality and the area including the other image abnormalities. The information processing system according to any one of (((2))) to (((4))), characterized in that. (((6))) For the specified area and the area including the other image abnormalities, a magnification for the read image is set. The information processing system according to (((5))), characterized in that. (((7))) The presence of the other image abnormality is information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality. The information processing system according to any one of (((1))) to (((6))), characterized in that. (((8))) The information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality is displayed when there is a user's designation for the display of the at least a part. The information processing system according to (((7))), characterized in that. (((9))) The information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality is information for displaying any one that satisfies a predetermined display condition when there are a plurality of the other image abnormalities. The information processing system according to (((7))) or (((8))), characterized in that. (((10))) In an information processing apparatus, An acquisition function for acquiring a read image that is an image read by a reading unit of a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming unit; A display function for displaying the cause of the image abnormality in association with the image abnormality when there is an image abnormality in the read image by diagnosing the read image acquired by the acquisition function; An output function for outputting the presence of other image abnormalities having a common cause when at least one of the image abnormality and the cause of the image abnormality displayed by the display function is specified by the user. A program for realizing

[0104] According to the invention of ((1)), compared with the case where the display of the diagnosis result of the read image is performed only by associating the cause with the image abnormality, higher reliability can be obtained from the user who has seen the diagnosis result regarding the cause of the image abnormality. According to the invention of ((2)), the designation by the user is the designation of the area including the image abnormality in the read image, and compared with the case where the control for outputting when the designated area satisfies the predetermined conditions is not adopted, the operation burden on the user can be reduced. According to the invention of ((3)), compared with the case where the predetermined condition is that only the image abnormality exists in the designated area and the control is not adopted, it becomes easier for the user to compare the image abnormalities. According to the invention of ((4)), compared with the case where the predetermined condition is that only another image abnormality having a common cause of the image abnormality exists in the designated area and the control is not adopted, it becomes easier for the user to compare the image abnormalities. According to the invention of ((5)), compared with the case where the output is not performed by displaying the designated area including the image abnormality and the area including other image abnormalities, it becomes easier for the user to compare the image abnormalities. According to the invention of ((6)), compared with the case where the magnification for the read image is not set for the designated area and the area including other image abnormalities, the visibility for the user when comparing the image abnormalities can be improved. According to the invention of ((7)), compared with the case where the existence of other image abnormalities is not controlled by information that displays at least a part of the other image abnormalities, the visibility for the user when comparing the image abnormalities can be improved. According to the invention of ((8)), compared with the case where the information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormalities is not displayed when there is a designation by the user for at least a part of the display, the operability of the user can be improved. According to the invention of ((9)), when the control of displaying information indicating at least a part of other image abnormalities does not adopt the control of displaying information that satisfies any one of the predetermined display conditions when there are a plurality of other image abnormalities, the burden on the user can be reduced. According to the invention of ((10)), compared with the case where the display of the diagnosis result of the read image is performed only by associating the cause with the image abnormality, higher reliability regarding the cause of the image abnormality can be obtained from the user who has seen the diagnosis result.

Explanation of Signs

[0105] 1…Diagnosis system, 11a…CPU, 13…Diagnosis result acquisition unit, 14…Image generation unit, 31, 32, 33…Muscles, 41a…Range, 30…Read image, 31c…Characters, 41…Result display screen, 42, 43…Notification screen, 61…Chart image, 72a…Display, 100A…Image forming unit, 130…Image reading device, 200…Server device, 300…User terminal, 310…Display device, CP…Chart paper, P…Paper

Claims

1. An information processing system including one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors obtain a read image, which is an image read by a reading unit from a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming unit, when an image abnormality is detected in the obtained read image by diagnosing the read image, associate a cause of the image abnormality with the image abnormality and display the cause, when at least one of the displayed image abnormality and the cause of the image abnormality is specified by a user, output the existence of other image abnormalities having the same cause, the information processing system.

2. The designation by the user is a designation of an area including the image abnormality in the read image, and the output is performed when the designated area satisfies a predetermined condition. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The predetermined condition is that only the image abnormality exists in the designated area. The information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The predetermined condition is that only another image abnormality having the same cause as the image abnormality exists in the designated area. The information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

5. The output is performed by displaying the designated area including the image abnormality and an area including the other image abnormality. The information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

6. A magnification for the read image is set for the designated area and the area including the other image abnormality. The information processing system according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The existence of the other image abnormality is information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

8. The information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality is displayed when there is a designation by the user for the display of at least a part of the other image abnormality. The information processing system according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The information for displaying at least a part of the other image abnormality is information for displaying any one that satisfies a predetermined display condition when there are a plurality of the other image abnormalities. The information processing system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that.

10. In an information processing apparatus, An acquisition function for acquiring a read image, which is an image read by a reading means of a diagnostic image of a recording medium output by an image forming means; A display function for displaying, when there is an image abnormality in the read image as a result of diagnosing the read image acquired by the acquisition function, the cause of the image abnormality in association with the image abnormality; An output function for outputting the presence of other image abnormalities having the same cause when at least one of the image abnormality and the cause of the image abnormality displayed by the display function is specified by the user; A program for realizing the above.

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