Image processing device, control method of image processing device and program

Abstract

To maintain convenience of a user who is reusing a printing job, while avoiding a capacity of a storing device storing a printing job from running out.SOLUTION: An image processing device comprises applying means that analyzes inputted printing jobs of printed matters and applies information showing a possibility that the printing jobs may be reused to the printing jobs, and storage control means that makes storing means keep storing the printing jobs applied with the information, even after printing by the printing jobs are executed. The storage control means deletes the printing job determined based on the information, of the printing jobs stored in the storing means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to techniques for managing print jobs. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, in the printing industry, inspection (quality control) work has been carried out to ensure that the deliverables (printed materials) delivered to clients are free of defects and have no quality issues. Printing systems equipped with inline automatic inspection functions that perform this inspection work continuously after the printing process are widely used. One inspection method is called scan inspection.

[0003] Scanning inspection is a method in which image data obtained by scanning a defect-free printed material is used as the inspection standard (reference image data).

[0004] In preparation for anticipated additional orders for the same printed matter, executed print jobs may be stored in the printing system rather than discarded after execution. In this case, for print jobs that require scan inspection, which requires the time-consuming generation of reference image data, the reference image data may be stored along with the executed print job. In scan inspection, as the number of stored print jobs (and reference image data) increases, this puts pressure on the free space in the storage device of the printing system. In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that automatically deletes reference image data for scan inspection stored in a storage device under certain conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-184992 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology of Patent Document 1, data stored in a storage device is uniformly deleted when certain conditions are met, which could result in the deletion of data that the user did not intend to delete. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an assigning means for analyzing a print job of an input printed material and assigning information to the print job indicating the possibility of reusing the print job, and a storage control means for storing the print job to which the information has been assigned in a storage means even after printing by the print job has been executed, and the storage control means is characterized in that it deletes the print job determined based on the information from among the print jobs stored in the storage means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to avoid putting a strain on the capacity of a storage device that stores print jobs, while maintaining user convenience when reusing print jobs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the overall configuration of a printing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus, an inspection apparatus, and a post-processing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a printing system. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the print processing system based on a new job. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of a storage control information assignment process. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the data structure of a print job. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a list of saved jobs. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an inspection report. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the print processing system based on a saved job. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the technology of the present disclosure according to the claims. Not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as solutions for the technology of the present disclosure, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Identical configurations will be described with the same reference numerals. Furthermore, each process (step) in a flowchart will be denoted with an "S" at the beginning.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) <System configuration> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a printing system 100 according to this embodiment. The printing system 100 includes an image processing device 101, an image forming device 102, an inspection device 103, and a post-processing device 104. Each device is connected via a communication cable 105 so as to be able to send and receive data.

[0012] The role of each device in realizing the functions of the printing system will be briefly described. The image processing device 101, also known as a DFE (Digital Front End), functions as a printer server. That is, the image processing device 101 performs RIP processing to bitmap PDL data included in an input print job, thereby generating raster-format image data (print data) used by the image forming device 102 in the print process. The image processing device 101 also controls the print process performed by the image forming device 102 and manages print jobs. The image forming device 102 is a printer that forms an image on a recording medium, i.e., paper, based on the print data generated by the image processing device 101. Image formation methods include offset printing, electrophotography, inkjet, and the like, and are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the image forming device will be described as an electrophotography-based image forming device. The inspection device 103 inspects the paper (printed material) printed by the image forming device 102 for defects and quality issues. The post-processing device 104, also called a finisher, controls paper discharge based on the results of the inspection performed by the inspection device 103, and also performs post-processing such as sorting, grouping, and stapling.

[0013] <Hardware configuration of each device> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the printing system 100 will be described below. Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the internal configuration of the image processing device 101. The image processing device 101 includes a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, a storage device 204, a system interface (I / F) 205, a network I / F 206, an output I / F 207, a general-purpose I / F 208, and a main bus 209. The image processing device 101 is also connected to an output device 210 via the output I / F 207. The image processing device 101 is also connected to an input device 211 and an external storage device 212 via the general-purpose I / F 208.

[0014] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 is a central processing unit and a processor that performs overall control of each unit of the image processing device 101. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 is described as performing overall control of the entire printing system 100. However, this configuration is not limited to this. The CPU 201 may share processing with other CPUs, or a GPU, a processor specialized for high-speed parallel computing, may perform part of the control processing of the CPU 201. Furthermore, part of the control processing of the CPU 201 may be performed by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The RAM (Random Access Memory) 202 is a volatile memory that functions as the main memory and work area of ​​the CPU 201. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 203 is a volatile memory that stores programs such as a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) executed by the CPU 201.

[0015] The storage device 204 refers to a nonvolatile large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores applications executed by the CPU 201, various data, etc. The system I / F 205 is an interface that connects to each device in the printing system 100, namely, the image forming device 102, the inspection device 103, and the post-processing device 104, and exchanges various data. Each device communicates its operating status with each other through the system I / F 205, synchronizes operation timing, and transmits and receives data with other devices. The network I / F 206 is an interface that connects to a network outside the printing system 100 and transmits and receives data. The output I / F 207 is, for example, an image output interface such as HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The output device 210 connected to the image processing device 101 via the output I / F 207 is, for example, an LCD display, and provides a GUI (graphical user interface).

[0016] The general-purpose I / F 208 is a bus interface such as USB or IEEE1394. The general-purpose I / F 208 accepts information on user operations (instructions) from an input device 211, such as a keyboard or a mouse, connected to the image processing device 101. The image processing device 101 is also connected to an external storage device 212 via the general-purpose I / F 208, allowing the user to store data such as logs in the external storage device 212 or to cause the image processing device 101 to retrieve desired data from the external storage device 212. The main bus 209 connects the various hardware components of the image processing device 101 to communicate with each other. The hardware configuration of the image processing device 101 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display that provides a GUI may be present inside the image processing device 101 via the main bus 209. The output device 210 and the input device 211 may be integrated into a touch-panel display or the like.

[0017] <Hardware configuration of other devices> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 102, the inspection apparatus 103, and the post-processing apparatus 104. As shown in FIG.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 102 is connected to other devices in the printing system 100 via a system I / F 301. In addition to a CPU and RAM similar to those of the image processing apparatus 101, the image forming apparatus 102 also includes a paper feed unit 302, a conveyance unit 303, an image forming unit 304, and a touch panel 305. The paper feed unit 302 supplies paper sheets set in a cassette or the like (not shown) to the image forming apparatus 102 via the conveyance unit 303. The conveyance unit 303 conveys the paper sheets set in the paper feed unit 302 using a rotating roller (not shown) or the like. The conveyance unit 303 can convey paper sheets from the image forming apparatus 102 to the inspection apparatus 103 and the post-processing apparatus 104. In other words, the conveyance unit 303 is connected to the inspection apparatus 103 and the post-processing apparatus 104 and is a component common to the three apparatuses. The image forming unit 304 forms an image on the paper sheets conveyed by the conveyance unit 303 based on print data sent from the image processing apparatus 101. When the printing method is electrophotography, an image indicated by the print data is formed as a latent image on a photosensitive drum, developed with color material (toner), transferred to paper, and fixed to form an image on the paper. The touch panel 305 is a combination of a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display) and a pointing device (e.g., a touch pad), and corresponds to the output device 210 and input device 211 of the image processing device 101.

[0019] The inspection device 103 is connected to other devices in the printing system 100 via a system I / F 306. In addition to a CPU and RAM similar to those of the image processing device 101, the inspection device 103 also includes a reading unit 307, an inspection processing unit 308, and a touch panel 309. The reading unit 307 is a scanner equipped with a light source and a light-receiving sensor (e.g., a CCD) and optically reads the printed material conveyed by the conveying unit 303 to obtain image data. Hereinafter, the image data read by the reading unit 307 will be referred to as "read data." In this embodiment, the read data has an image format in which each pixel has three RGB (Red, Green, Blue) channels, with each channel having 8 bits. The inspection processing unit 308 compares the read data obtained by the reading unit 307 with the reference image data corresponding to the read data to inspect the printed material for defects. The touch panel 309 is a combination of a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display) and a pointing device (for example, a touch pad), and corresponds to the touch panel 305 of the image forming apparatus 102.

[0020] The post-processing device 104 is connected to other devices in the printing system 100 via a system I / F 310. The post-processing device 104 includes a drive control unit 311 and paper output trays 312 and 313. The hardware configuration for realizing functions such as sorting, grouping, and stapling is omitted from FIG. 3. The drive control unit 311 controls switching of the path so that printed materials conveyed by the conveying unit 303 are discharged to either the paper output tray 312 or the paper output tray 313 depending on the inspection results of the inspection device 103. The drive control unit 311 separates the printed materials, for example, into those that pass inspection and those that fail, and then discharges them.

[0021] <Printing system functional configuration> The functional configuration (software configuration) of each device that constitutes the printing system 100 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG.

[0022] The image processing apparatus 101 includes a print job acquisition unit 411 , a print job analysis unit 412 , a print data generation unit 413 , a storage control unit 414 , and a data transmission unit 415 .

[0023] The print job acquisition unit 411 acquires a print job consisting of data (data section) and header information (header section). The data is data (PDL data) that describes the image to be printed on a page-by-page basis. The header information includes information (print settings) related to printing conditions such as the number of copies to be printed and the type and size of paper, as well as information indicating instructions for carrying out an inspection (inspection implementation information). The print job is input together with a print instruction from, for example, a personal computer (not shown) that can communicate with the image processing device 101 via a network. Alternatively, a user may input the above-mentioned printing conditions and the like into the PDL data via the input device 211, thereby generating and acquiring a print job in the image processing device 101.

[0024] The print job analysis unit 412 analyzes the print job acquired by the print job acquisition unit 411 and assigns to the print job information (storage control information) corresponding to the analysis result, which indicates whether the print job is to be saved as a priority so that it will continue to be saved. That is, the print job analysis unit 412 assigns to the print job being analyzed storage control information, which indicates the possibility of reuse obtained by analyzing the print job and indicates the degree of priority for saving the print job in a storage device. The print data generation unit 413 receives the print job, performs RIP processing based on the print settings and PDL data included in the header information of the print job, and generates print data. The storage control unit 414 stores the print job or print data and the storage control information of the print job. The storage control unit 414 also controls the saving and deletion of the print job or print data and the storage control information of the print job. That is, the storage control unit 414 also controls whether the print job or print data and the storage control information of the print job are to be saved as a priority so that they will continue to be saved. The data transmission unit 415 transmits the printing data generated by the printing data generation unit 413 to the image forming apparatus 102 via the system I / F 205. Note that the data transmission unit 415 may also transmit printing data stored in the storage control unit 414.

[0025] The image forming apparatus 102 includes a data acquisition unit 421 , an image processing unit 422 , a print control unit 423 , and a data transmission unit 424 .

[0026] The data acquisition unit 421 receives and acquires the printing data transmitted by the data transmission unit 415 of the image processing device 101 via the system I / F 301. The image processing unit 422 performs color conversion processing, halftone processing, correction processing, etc. on the printing data in accordance with the printing characteristics of the image forming unit 304. Hereinafter, the printing data processed in accordance with the printing characteristics will be referred to as "image formation data." The print control unit 423 controls the image forming unit 304 to perform processing (print processing) to form an image on paper based on the image formation data. The data transmission unit 424 transmits the printing data (or image formation data), an end signal indicating that the printing processing has been performed, etc. to the inspection device 103 via the system I / F 301.

[0027] The inspection device 103 includes a read data acquisition unit 431 , a print data acquisition unit 432 , a print data conversion unit 433 , a defect detection unit 434 , an inspection result transmission unit 435 , and a report creation unit 436 .

[0028] The print data acquisition unit 432 receives and acquires the print data and the end signal transmitted by the data transmission unit 424 of the image forming apparatus 102 via the system I / F 306. Based on the acquired end signal, the read data acquisition unit 431 causes the reading unit 307 to read (scan) the printed material conveyed by the conveying unit 303, and acquires the read data.

[0029] The print data conversion unit 433 performs resolution conversion, color conversion, etc. on the print data acquired by the print data acquisition unit 432, and generates reference image data for the next inspection by the defect detection unit 434.

[0030] The defect detection unit 434 compares the read data with reference image data and performs an inspection process to check whether there are any defects in the printed matter. The inspection result transmission unit 435 transmits the results of the inspection process performed by the defect detection unit 434 to the post-processing device 104 via the system I / F 306. The report creation unit 436 creates an inspection report summarizing the results of the inspection process performed by the defect detection unit 434.

[0031] The post-processing device 104 has an inspection result acquisition unit 441 and an output control unit 442. The inspection result acquisition unit 441 receives and acquires the inspection results transmitted by the inspection result transmission unit 435 of the inspection device 103 via the system I / F 310. The output control unit 442 issues instructions to the drive control unit 311 based on the acquired inspection results, and controls the drive control unit 311 so that the printed matter is discharged to the appropriate discharge tray (either 312 or 313). Furthermore, the output control unit 442 outputs a signal indicating that processing has ended from a terminal (not shown) of the post-processing device 104.

[0032] <Printing system operation flow> Next, the operational flow of the printing system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 10. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of printing and inspection processing based on a new print job, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of the storage control information assignment processing. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of printing and inspection processing based on a saved print job. Of the series of processes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 10, the part related to the printing processing is mainly performed by the CPU of the image processing device 101, and the part related to the inspection processing is mainly performed by the CPU of the inspection processing unit of the inspection device.

[0033] (Operation flow based on new job) The printing and inspection process based on a newly submitted print job will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. In this embodiment, print job storage control is performed based on the inspection implementation information attached to the print job, aiming to improve the efficiency of reprinting, reinspection, report creation, etc. It is assumed that date information indicating the current date (for example, January 1, 2024) has been acquired.

[0034] In S501, the print job acquisition unit 411 acquires a print job input to the printing system 100. As described above, the print job is transmitted, for example, from a personal computer (not shown) that can communicate with the image processing device 101 via a network, along with a print instruction. Alternatively, the image processing device 101 may create a print job by adding print settings to image data stored in the external storage device 212. Here, an example of the data structure of a print job will be described with reference to FIG. 7(a), which shows a data structure of a print job. A print job 700 has a header section 710 and a data section 720. The header section 710 includes, in addition to print settings, inspection implementation information 711 indicating whether RIP inspection / scan inspection is to be performed, and report creation instruction information 712 indicating whether a report is to be created. The data section 720 includes PDL data and the like.

[0035] In S502, the print job analysis unit 412 analyzes the print job acquired in S501 and assigns storage control information to the print job to be analyzed, the storage control information being information according to the analysis result and indicating the degree to which the print job is to be saved so that it is given priority. Details of the process of analyzing the print job and assigning storage control information (S502) will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0036] (Details of the process of analyzing a print job and adding storage control information) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of the process (S502) of analyzing a print job and assigning storage control information. In this embodiment, storage control information corresponding to inspection implementation information indicating whether an inspection is to be performed is assigned to the print job. Some print jobs are particularly important prints that undergo inspection to ensure that there are no defects in the print product, while others may not require inspection based on printing alone. Print jobs that do not undergo inspection do not have inspection implementation information indicating an inspection implementation instruction assigned to the print job. In this embodiment, the inspection implementation information indicating an inspection implementation instruction for the print job is used to determine which print jobs to prioritize and continue to save.

[0037] In S601, the print job analysis unit 412 analyzes whether information indicating an inspection instruction (inspection implementation information) is attached to the print job. If the analysis result indicates that the inspection implementation information is attached to the print job (YES in S601), the process proceeds to S602. If the analysis result indicates that the inspection implementation information is not attached to the print job (NO in S601), the process proceeds to S603.

[0038] In S602, the print job analysis unit 412 assigns storage control information of "priority: high" to the print job to be processed, indicating that the priority of saving the print job to be processed so that it continues to be saved preferentially in the storage device 204 is relatively high. In S603, the print job analysis unit 412 assigns storage control information of "priority: low" to the print job to be processed, indicating that the priority of saving the print job to be processed so that it continues to be saved preferentially in the storage device 204 is relatively low. Here, an example of the data configuration of the print job after the storage control information has been assigned will be described with reference to FIG. 7(b), which shows a data configuration example of the print job after the storage control information has been assigned. The print job 700 after the storage control information has been assigned includes a header section 710 including storage control information 713 of "priority: high / low" and a data section 720, in addition to print settings, inspection implementation information 711, and report creation instruction information 712.

[0039] Returning to the flowchart in Fig. 5, in S503, the storage control unit 414 checks the usage status of the storage device 204 of the image processing device 101 and determines whether the free space of the storage device 204 is less than a specified value. In this embodiment, the specified value is, for example, 10% of the total storage capacity of the storage device 204, which is sufficient free space to store input print jobs. The free space of the storage device 204 may be determined based on the number of stored print jobs instead of the data size.

[0040] If the determination result indicates that the free space in the storage device 204 is less than the specified value (YES in S503), the process proceeds to S504. In S504, the storage control unit 414 refers to the storage control information of the print jobs already stored in the storage device 204, and determines the print jobs to be deleted in accordance with the storage control information.

[0041] In this embodiment, the oldest print job is deleted from among candidates for deletion, which includes print jobs with storage control information of "low priority" and print jobs with storage control information of "high priority" that have been printed for a predetermined period of time. That is, if the free space in the storage device 204 is less than a specified value and print jobs with low priorities and print jobs with high priorities are stored in the storage device 204, the following print jobs are deleted: Of candidates for deletion, which includes print jobs with high priorities that have been printed for a predetermined period of time and print jobs with low priorities, a print job determined based on the time elapsed since printing was completed is deleted. Specifically, of the candidates for deletion, the print job that has been printed for the longest period of time is deleted.

[0042] Furthermore, if there is no corresponding print job, the oldest print job is determined as the print job to be deleted. That is, if the free space of the storage device 204 is less than a specified value and no print jobs assigned a high priority are stored in the storage device 204, a print job assigned a low priority that is determined based on the time elapsed since printing was completed is deleted. Specifically, the print job that has been assigned the longest time since printing was completed is deleted. Furthermore, if the free space of the storage device 204 is less than a specified value and no print jobs assigned a low priority are stored in the storage device 204, a print job assigned a high priority that is determined based on the time elapsed since printing was completed is deleted. Specifically, the print job that has been assigned the longest time since printing was completed is deleted.

[0043] After the process of S504 is executed, the process returns to S503. Then, the determination process of S503 is executed again. That is, the processes of S503 and S504 are repeatedly executed until the storage device 204 has enough free space to store the input print job.

[0044] (Print job deletion process) The concept of the print job deletion process (S504) will be specifically explained using Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a list of print jobs. The print job list 800 is assumed to be a list of print jobs stored in the storage device 204 of the image processing device 101 at a certain time. However, for the sake of explanation, the information has been simplified.

[0045] The list 800 of saved print jobs displays, for each saved print job, information relating to each item, including job name 801, creation date and time 802, print completion date and time 803, inspection status 804, storage control information 805, and user protection 806. Note that in Fig. 8, the information relating to the items creation date and time 802 and print completion date and time 803 is shown with the time omitted.

[0046] The job name 801 indicates the name of each print job. While any name may be assigned to the job name 801, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the job names are "Print Job 01" to "Print Job 10" from the top of the table. The creation date / time 802 indicates the date and time when each print job was created. The print completion date / time 803 indicates the date and time when printing of each print job was completed. The inspection status 804 indicates whether inspection information indicating an instruction to perform an inspection is assigned to each print job. The storage control information 805 is the storage control information assigned to each print job in S502 and indicates either "Priority: High" or "Priority: Low." The user protection 806 indicates whether or not an instruction to protect the storage of the print job, arbitrarily assigned to the print job by the user, is assigned to the print job. In this embodiment, the current date is January 1, 2024, and the predetermined fixed period during which "Priority: High" print jobs become candidates for deletion is set to two months. That is, it is assumed that print jobs with a "high priority" and print completion date and time up to November 1, 2023 correspond to priority retention jobs that are saved so as to be saved with priority.

[0047] In the list 800 of saved print jobs, the print jobs are displayed in the following order: user protection 806 is the first item ('None' at the top), storage control information 805 is the second item ('Priority: High' at the top), and print completion date and time 803 is the third item (newer dates at the top).

[0048] In the deletion of S504, first, print jobs for which user protection 806 is set to "Yes" are excluded from deletion candidates. In the list of stored print jobs 800, print job 10 is excluded from deletion candidates among print jobs 01 to 10. Next, the storage control information is referenced, and print jobs whose storage control information is "Priority: Low" and print jobs whose storage control information is "Priority: High" and for which two months have passed since the printing completion date and time are selected as candidates for deletion. In the list of print jobs 800, print jobs 05, 06, 07, 08, and 09 among print jobs 01 to 09 are selected as candidates for deletion. Furthermore, among the candidates for deletion, the job for which the longest time has passed since the printing completion date and time is selected as the job for deletion and deleted.

[0049] In this embodiment, print job 09 is selected and deleted. If print job 09 does not exist, print job 05 is selected for deletion and deleted. If both print jobs 05 and 09 do not exist, print job 08 is selected for deletion and deleted. When deleting print job 08, the print completion dates and times of the print jobs are referenced. There are four print jobs, print jobs 01 through 04, whose print completion dates and times have elapsed longer than print job 08. However, these print jobs are prioritized and continue to be saved based on their priority. However, even if a print job has a high priority, it is not guaranteed that it will continue to be saved. Depending on the circumstances, it may be deleted if a sufficient amount of time has passed. Note that in this embodiment, the print completion date and time are used as the starting date and time when calculating the elapsed time, but this is not limiting. For example, time information indicating a different starting date and time, such as the creation date and time of the print job or the input date and time of the print job to the printing system, may also be used.

[0050] If the determination result indicates that the free space in the storage device 204 is not less than the specified value (NO in S503), the process proceeds to S505. In S505, the print data generation unit 413 performs RIP processing by referencing the image information, print setting information, etc. included in the print job acquired in S501. Through this RIP processing, the input print job is converted into bitmap data that reflects the print settings and becomes print data that represents the image to be formed by the image forming device 102.

[0051] In S506, the storage control unit 414 associates the print job acquired in S501 with the print data corresponding to the print job and stores the linked data in the storage device 204. In this embodiment, the print job and the print data are stored as a single unit.

[0052] When steps S501 to S506 are completed, print data is sent and received between the data sending unit 415 and the data acquiring unit 421, and the main processing flow shifts from the image processing apparatus 101 to the image forming apparatus .

[0053] In S507, the image processing unit 422 of the image forming apparatus 102 performs predetermined image processing on the print data received by the data acquisition unit 421, generating image formation data suited to the characteristics of the image forming unit 304. The predetermined processing includes, for example, color conversion processing, halftone processing, correction processing, etc. Image forming apparatuses generally have various image formation characteristics due to the characteristics of the color materials and devices used, depending on the model or type of device. The image formation data generated in this step absorbs these differences in characteristics and is data that the image forming unit 304 directly references when executing print processing.

[0054] Here, a brief description of the predetermined processes will be given. Color conversion processing is processing for converting the colors represented by the image of the print data into the amounts of color materials used in image formation. In this embodiment, in which the image forming unit 304 forms images using four colors of toner—cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K)—the conversion is performed using a three-dimensional, four-dimensional, or one-dimensional LUT that indicates the conversion relationship between various colors and the amounts of the four color materials. Halftone processing is processing for quantizing the multilevel pixel values ​​of each pixel constituting the image of the print data into small values ​​(e.g., binary values ​​representing the presence or absence of toner) that can be directly represented by the image forming unit 304, and dithering or error diffusion methods are used, for example. Correction processing is processing for enhancing edges using an edge enhancement filter, for example, when the image forming unit 304 has the characteristic of being unable to fully reproduce sharp edges and causing them to become dull. In this manner, image formation data is generated from the print data.

[0055] In S508, the print control unit 423 drives the image forming unit 304 to print an image on the conveyed paper based on the image formation data. In the electrophotographic method, a toner image is formed on a photosensitive drum using a latent image and development process using the amount of toner specified in the image formation data, and the toner image is then transferred to paper, after which the toner on the paper is fixed to create a printed matter.

[0056] When the execution of the above processes in S507 and S508 is completed, printing data or image formation data is transmitted and received between the data transmission unit 424 and the printing data acquisition unit 432. In addition, the image forming device 102 transmits to the inspection device 103 a completion signal indicating that printing has been performed.

[0057] In S509, the read data acquisition unit 431 reads the conveyed printed matter with the reading unit 307 of the inspection device 103 and acquires read data (inspection image data).

[0058] In S510, the print data conversion unit 433 acquires the print data generated in S505 from the image forming apparatus 102 and performs predetermined image processing on the print data to generate reference image data. Specifically, image processing such as resolution conversion and color conversion is performed on the print data. Because the print data does not contain defects, it is suitable as reference image data, but it cannot be compared with the scanned data as is. For example, the image resolution of the scanned data is determined by the conveying speed of the conveying unit 303 and the reading frequency of the reading unit 307. However, this is unrelated to the printing processing system, and therefore the image resolution of the scanned data and the print data may not necessarily be the same. Therefore, a process for adjusting the resolution is required to obtain reference image data suitable for comparison. Note that the resolution conversion does not necessarily have to match one image resolution, but may instead be converted to any resolution that adequately captures defects and does not result in an excessively large image size.

[0059] Furthermore, when printing is performed using four-color CMYK toner, the print data has pixel values ​​in four CMYK channels, but the scanned data often has pixel values ​​in three RGB channels, so it is necessary to match it to one of them. Therefore, color conversion is performed using an LUT that describes the correspondence between pixel values ​​in the print data and the scanned data. The LUT is created in advance by determining the correspondence between the two data, i.e., which pixel value in the print data corresponds to which pixel value in the scanned data. In addition, since the scanned data includes the printing characteristics of the image forming unit 304 and the reading characteristics of the reading unit 307, correction processing may be performed to simulate these characteristics and add them to the print data. In this manner, reference image data is generated from the print data. Note that if the data sent from the image forming device 102 is image formation data rather than print data, the necessary image processing may be performed on the image formation data to generate reference image data. The reference image data generated in this manner is set (stored in the RAM of the inspection device 103) as reference image data for inspecting the print job acquired in S501.

[0060] In S511, the defect detection unit 434 compares the inspection image data acquired in S509 with the reference image data set in S510 and inspects for defects for each item specified in the inspection settings within the print job (inspection execution information). The defect detection unit 434 performs preprocessing as necessary prior to the comparison. Examples of preprocessing include a resolution conversion process to match the image resolution of the inspection image data with that of the reference image data, and a registration process to align the two images. The inspection image data obtained by scanning a printed material may contain misalignment or tilt due to printing accuracy or conveyance accuracy. Comparing an inspection image containing such misalignment or tilt with the reference image may result in inaccurate defect detection. Therefore, a registration process is required to correct the misalignment or tilt that may be present in the inspection image. Specifically, feature points are extracted from both images to determine corresponding points between the two images, and a conversion is performed to match the corresponding points, thereby correcting the misalignment. For example, the well-known AKAZE (Accelerated-KAZE) method may be applied to extract feature points, and the well-known affine transformation may be applied to the transformation.

[0061] After the preprocessing is complete, the defect detection unit 434 compares the inspection image data with the reference image data pixel by pixel and calculates the difference for each pixel. If the print is defect-free and the degree of match between the inspection image and the reference image is high, the difference for each pixel will be "0" or will remain within a small absolute value range. On the other hand, if the print has a defect, a mismatch will occur between the inspection image and the reference image, and a large absolute difference will be calculated for the pixel corresponding to the defect. If a defect occurs in the print, pixels with large absolute difference values ​​will occur in clusters for each defect type. Therefore, a spatial filter process of a predetermined shape is applied to the calculated difference to identify areas where defects are suspected, and the response value of the spatial filter is compared with a predetermined threshold to determine whether or not to consider the area defective. The resulting judgment result (inspection result) is stored in the RAM of the inspection device 103. After inspection, the print is transported to the post-processing device 104, where the output control unit 442 of the post-processing device 104 outputs the print to a paper output tray corresponding to the inspection result. Defects in printed materials occur when color material adheres to unintended locations during the printing process, or when insufficient color material adheres to intended locations. Types of defects include point defects, linear defects, color loss, and color unevenness.

[0062] When steps S509 to S511 are completed, the inspection results are transmitted and received between the inspection result transmitting unit 435 and the inspection result acquiring unit 441, and the main processing flow moves from the inspection device 103 to the post-processing device 104.

[0063] In S512, it is determined whether printing of the number of copies specified in the print job has been completed in the image forming apparatus 102. If the determination result indicates that printing has not been completed (NO in S512), the process returns to S508, and printing and inspection of the results are continued. On the other hand, if the determination result indicates that printing has been completed (YES in S512), the process proceeds to S513.

[0064] In S513, the report creation unit 436 creates an inspection report based on the inspection results stored in the RAM of the inspection device 103. The inspection report contains information such as the total number of prints, the number of passed products, and the number of rejected products. For rejected products, the location and type of defects detected may also be recorded. Furthermore, the actual state of the defects may be shown as evidence by referring to the scanned image and the reference image. The created inspection report is stored in the RAM of the inspection device 103 and further in a storage device. Note that the inspection report is created as needed, for example, when an instruction to create an inspection report is included in the print job.

[0065] (Inspection report) FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an inspection report. FIG. 9 displays information about a rejected product detected during operation. The inspection report 900 is generated by the report generation unit 436 and includes detailed information about the detected defect. The inspection report 900 includes information about the rejected product, such as the number of copies 901 out of the total number of copies, the number of pages 902 out of the total number of pages, the side 903 of the rejected product (either the front or back), the number 904 of the detected rejected product, and the type of defect 905. The inspection report 900 also includes information about the defect's location 906 within the page, an enlarged view 910 of a portion of the scanned image, and an enlarged view 920 of a portion of the reference image corresponding to the scanned image. The enlarged view 910 of the portion of the scanned image shows a dent 911 detected as a defect. The actual defect can be confirmed by comparing the enlarged view 910 and the enlarged view 920.

[0066] This concludes the flow of the printing and inspection process, including the print job storage control process, in this embodiment. This flow automatically determines whether the printed image has no defects and is of good quality, and collects only the print products without defects. Furthermore, when the free space in the image processing device 101 is less than a predetermined value, it is possible to automatically prioritize and continuously save (retain) print jobs that are considered important.

[0067] (Operation flow based on saved jobs) Printing and inspection processing based on a saved job is performed when additional printing becomes necessary for some reason. By including storage control information in the header information of the print job to be generated, the print job is saved so that it continues to be saved even after execution, as described above, in accordance with the free space in the storage device, the time elapsed since printing completion date and time, and the storage control information. Then, when additional printing actually becomes necessary, the user instructs the image processing device 101 to start execution of the saved print job via the input device 211. Below, printing and inspection processing based on a print job saved so that it continues to be saved even after execution will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0068] In S1001, information about the print job saved in the storage device 204 is read, and a list of saved jobs (not shown) is presented to the user on a display device serving as the output device 210. When the user finds a desired print job in the list of saved jobs, the user performs an operation to select the print job via the input device 211.

[0069] In S1002, a print job selection operation by the user is accepted, and the print job acquisition unit 411 reads and acquires the print job related to the selection operation from the storage device 204. Note that this differs from S501 in the flow of FIG. 5 above in that the print job related to the selection operation exists inside the image processing device 101, so there is no need to acquire it from the outside, and it is sufficient to identify it only in the internal storage device 204. Note that if print data generated from the print job related to the selection operation is also saved in the storage device 204, in this step the print data corresponding to the print job related to the selection operation may be read and acquired together with the print job related to the selection operation. In this case, the next step S1003 is unnecessary and is therefore skipped.

[0070] In S1003, similar to S505 above, the print data generation unit 413 performs RIP processing based on the header information and image data (PDL data) included in the print job acquired in S1002, and generates print data. The difference from S505 is that the target is an already saved print job.

[0071] When print data is generated or acquired in S1003, in S1004 to S1010 shown in Fig. 10 following S1003, printing and inspection processing is performed in the same manner as in the flow of Fig. 5 described above. Each step of S1004 to S1010 shown in Fig. 10 corresponds to S507 to S513 in the flow of Fig. 5 described above, and there is no particular difference, so a description thereof will be omitted. The above is the content of the printing and inspection processing based on a stored job.

[0072] 5 and 10 described in this embodiment realizes several advantages in print image inspection. These will be described below.

[0073] In this embodiment, the reference image data used in the defect detection process is generated from print data or image formation data. Therefore, if the source print job exists, the reference image data can be regenerated by reflecting the settings of the print job. This eliminates the need to save reference image data for each inspection, thereby conserving printing system resources. Another method for acquiring reference image data is to use the scanning unit 307 to scan previously printed, quality-verified printouts. However, this method requires the prior confirmation and scanning of defect-free printouts. Furthermore, in the event that additional reprinting and reinspection are required for some reason, or an inspection report needs to be created a predetermined time after printing is completed, this method requires the reference image data to be saved until such time. This is because it is difficult to reacquire identical scanned data when scanning printed materials. While it is possible to acquire similar images of the same type, this would change the inspection standards, which is undesirable from the perspective of fairness. The same is true for publishing the data in an inspection report. Because reference image data is required for each print pattern (i.e., page) and varies depending on the printing conditions, the number of reference image data for a given print job can be enormous. In this embodiment, since such reference image data can be generated from the print job, there is no need to save it one by one, which is beneficial for efficiently using the resources of the printing system, including the storage capacity of the entire system. Furthermore, as a result, it is possible to retain the print job for generating reference image data in the printing system for a longer period of time than if the reference image data, which has a large data size, were directly saved and then deleted as appropriate.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in step S502, the print job analysis unit 412 assigns storage control information corresponding to the inspection implementation information of the print job to the print job, and the storage control unit 414 performs storage control based on the storage control information. Specifically, higher-priority storage control information is assigned to print jobs that undergo inspection, and the print jobs are saved for longer periods of time. While generating reference image data from a print job offers the aforementioned advantages, a print job is required for its generation. If the print job is deleted from the image processing device 101 due to storage capacity limitations, the print job must be submitted again. This increases the user's workload and can hinder printing and inspection productivity. In contrast, in this embodiment, print jobs that are likely to be reused in generating reference image data and are therefore considered more important are automatically saved for longer periods of time. This reduces the likelihood that the user will be forced to submit a print job again, compared to when the possibility of reusing the print job is not taken into consideration, contributing to improved work efficiency.

[0075] As described above, according to this embodiment, by generating reference image data from print data, information redundancy is utilized, thereby saving storage capacity on the storage device and enabling more efficient use than if the reference image data itself were continuously stored. Furthermore, by controlling the storage of print jobs that generate reference image data, the user is less likely to resubmit print jobs, achieving greater efficiency than simply controlling the retention, non-retention, or deletion of reference image data. This effect is particularly significant when maintaining long-term storage, such as when additional printing and inspection are required, or when an inspection report is later created. In other words, the user's convenience when reusing print jobs can be maintained while avoiding strain on the storage device that stores print jobs.

[0076] <Modification of the First Embodiment> The above-described Embodiment 1 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, it may be modified and applied as follows. Regarding the same configuration as in Embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are given, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0077] (Method of Assigning Priority) In the above, among the deletion candidates including the print job with the storage control information "Priority: Low" and the print job with the storage control information "Priority: High" for which a predetermined period has elapsed since the print completion, the oldest print job is deleted. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0078] For example, storage control information having more than two values or continuous values may be assigned to the print job. As an example, assuming that a predetermined fixed period is T, the storage control information E is calculated as follows by referring to the elapsed time t from the print completion of the print job. · When the print job has inspection execution information E = 0.5×(t - T) · When the print job does not have inspection execution information E = t The print job for which the calculated storage control information E is maximum is targeted for deletion. That is, when the print job has inspection execution information, it is evaluated by half of the value obtained by subtracting the fixed period T, which is the protection period, from the elapsed time t, and the priority of retention is increased. According to such a method, since the print job to be deleted can be selected from a unified perspective based on the continuous value storage control information E, it is possible to achieve a balanced selection based on the inspection execution instruction and the elapsed time by adjusting the parameters related to the calculation of the storage control information E.

[0079] Alternatively, periods T1 and T2 (where T1 < T2) may be provided, and a print job without inspection execution information may be set as a deletion target when the period T1 has elapsed, and a print job with inspection execution information may be set as a deletion target when the period T2 has elapsed. In this case, there is an advantage that the selection of the print job to be deleted becomes clear.

[0080] (Alternative Method of Deletion) The above describes a mode in which a print job stored in a storage device is deleted by referencing storage control information, but this is not limiting. For example, if the printing system 100 includes a first storage device and a second storage device with a slower read / write speed than the first storage device, the print job stored in the first storage device may be transferred to the second storage device. Alternatively, the print job may be encoded using data compression technology to reduce its data size. In this way, instead of deleting the print job, the print job may be controlled to be stored in a state with reduced accessibility for a short period of time.

[0081] (Timing of deletion) In the above, we have described a case where the timing for deleting a print job stored in a storage device is when a new print job is input, but this is not limited to this, and storage can be controlled, such as by deleting the print job at any timing.

[0082] (Individual management of print jobs and print data) In the above, we have described a form in which the print job and the print data generated from the input job are linked and saved as a single entity (S506). However, this is not limited to this, and the storage form may also be controlled. Reference image data is generated based on the print data, and the print data is generated from the print job. If the print data is saved, there is no need to generate print data from the print job again, but the storage capacity required for the print data increases. Even if the print data is deleted, if the print job that is its source is retained, the print data can be obtained, although it will have to be regenerated. Therefore, when print data is deleted, accessibility decreases in that processing is required, but the information continues to be retained within the system. This can be used to control the deletion of the print data while leaving the print job.

[0083] (Priority corresponding to inspection level) In the above, we have described a case where print jobs that perform inspections are given priority over others by assigning storage control information corresponding to the presence or absence of inspection implementation information to the print jobs, but this is not limiting. Storage control may be performed by assigning storage control information to print jobs with reference to information other than inspection implementation information.

[0084] For example, a print job with inspection information and a high level of inspection may be assigned a higher priority. When an inspection is performed on a print job, an inspection level indicating the level (strictness) of the inspection is set. This is set and stored in the header of the print job along with the inspection execution instruction. The inspection level indicates the level (strictness) of defect detection in the inspection process. The user specifies the inspection level via the UI when issuing an inspection instruction; if the user does not specify otherwise, a predetermined default value is set. Specifically, the inspection level is expressed as a number between 1 and 9. The higher the number, the stricter the inspection level. Even slight differences from the reference image data are detected as defects and the product is deemed a reject. The default value is set, for example, to "6." This can be achieved, for example, by lowering the threshold value compared with the spatial filter response value in the description of step S511 above. A print job with inspection information with a higher inspection level corresponds to a more important print product, and is likely to require reprinting, reinspection, and the creation of an inspection report, and the importance of outputting these items promptly is high. Therefore, giving a higher priority to print jobs with inspection implementation information at a high inspection level leads to higher priority being given to print jobs that are more likely to be reused or are important, which is expected to further improve productivity. Note that if the user does not specify otherwise, a predetermined default value will be set.

[0085] (Priority when replacement printing is required) As another example, a higher priority may be assigned to print jobs that include partial replacement for each printed item, or to print jobs that further inspect the replacement. In other words, a print job that outputs a printed item that is partially different for each print run may be preserved and saved with higher priority than a print job that does not output a printed item that is partially different for each print run. Each such printed item has a different meaning, and each individual printed item is considered to be more important than a type of printed item in which the same image is printed in large quantities. Based on this concept, print jobs that include partial replacement may be preserved with higher priority, thereby improving productivity.

[0086] (Priority when there is no instruction to save reference image data) Consider a case where reference image data is generated from print data as in the first embodiment, and whether or not to save the reference image data can be set arbitrarily. In this case, when the setting is set to not save the reference image data by instruction, a higher priority may be assigned to the print job than when the setting is set to save by instruction. This is because when the reference image data is not saved, the importance of print jobs that can generate reference image data increases, and the possibility of generating reference image data from the print job increases. In this way, print jobs that are important or likely to be reused may be given priority so that they continue to be saved, thereby improving productivity.

[0087] (Priority when an inspection report is instructed to be created) Furthermore, a print job that includes an instruction to create an inspection report may be assigned a higher priority. This is because a print job that is scheduled to output an inspection report is presumably more likely to be reused than a print job that is not scheduled to output an inspection report. Therefore, productivity may be improved by prioritizing and continuing to save print jobs that are more likely to be reused.

[0088] (Print job with scan inspection) In the first embodiment, reference image data is generated from a print job, eliminating the need to store reference image data for each inspection within the print job. This allows the image data to be generated later when needed, making it more effective in terms of print job retention and utilization. This embodiment is not limited to this. Even if reference image data is not generated from a print job, a print job with inspection information is still considered more important than a print job without inspection information, considering the possibility of reprinting. Therefore, this embodiment is also applicable to print jobs that perform so-called scan inspection, in which image data obtained by scanning a defect-free printout is used as reference image data. That is, reference image data corresponding to a print job stored in a storage device and obtained by scanning a defect-free printout is associated with the print job and stored in the storage device. If the available storage space in the storage device is less than a specified value, the print job and the associated reference image data determined based on the priority assigned to the print job are deleted. Note that if the user deletes the reference image data acquired by scanning in a print job that performs scan inspection, the possibility of inspection can be considered to be low, and therefore storage control information with a lower priority may be assigned to the print job.

[0089] (Other inspection settings) Alternatively, storage control information with a higher priority may be assigned to a print job for inspection settings that are considered to increase the importance of the print job or the possibility of reusing the print job.

[0090] (default setting) The control of the priority of print job storage determined as described above may ultimately change in individual cases. That is, for example, as in the above-described embodiment, the priority set as described above and the actual order of print job storage may change as a result of a user arbitrarily setting protection for individual print jobs. This is because it is considered more convenient for users to adhere to the policy arbitrarily set by the user in individual circumstances. By determining the priority in the default setting values ​​(default values) as described above and then accepting the user's arbitrary settings based on individual circumstances, it is expected that the system will be more convenient for users overall.

[0091] <Other embodiments> In the first embodiment, the printing system 100 is described as being configured to include an image processing device 101, an image forming device 102, an inspection device 103, and a post-processing device 104. An example of the configuration of each device has also been described. However, the configuration within the printing system, or the division of the devices and functional units that each device has inside, is not limited to what has been described above. In the first embodiment, what has been described as separate configurations may be an integrated device, and conversely, what was an integrated device may be categorized as a separate device group. For example, a configuration such as an inline inspection machine that performs image processing, image formation, inspection, and paper discharge in an integrated manner is also possible.

[0092] Although the above describes a case where a print job includes inspection implementation information, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, before storage control information is assigned to a print job, inspection implementation information separate from the print job may be set for the print job by a user operation on the touch panel 309 of the inspection device 103, as necessary. In this case, the inspection implementation information set for the print job is acquired along with the print job to be processed. Furthermore, when the print job is saved, the inspection implementation information set for the print job is also saved in association with the print job.

[0093] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The program may also be provided by recording it on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0094] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration examples. (Configuration 1) an assigning unit that analyzes an input print job for a printed matter and assigns information to the print job that indicates the possibility of reusing the print job; a storage control unit that stores the print job to which the information has been added so that the print job continues to be stored in a storage unit even after printing by the print job has been executed; and The storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information from among the print jobs stored in the storage unit. 1. An image processing device comprising: (Configuration 2) The storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information when the free space in the storage unit is less than a specified value. 2. The image processing device according to configuration 1, (Configuration 3) the assigning unit assigns, as the information, a priority to the print job indicating a degree of storage so that the print job is to be kept stored preferentially in the storage unit; The storage control means deletes the print jobs to which a lower priority is assigned from among the print jobs stored in the storage means so as not to continue to store the print jobs in preference to the print jobs to which a higher priority is assigned. 3. The image processing device according to configuration 2. (Configuration 4) When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the high priority is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit deletes the print job, determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time, from among the print jobs assigned the low priority. 4. The image processing device according to configuration 3. (Configuration 5) The image processing device according to configuration 4, wherein the storage control means deletes the print job for which the longest elapsed time has elapsed since any of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input. (Configuration 6) The storage control means When the free space of the storage means is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the low priority and the print job assigned the high priority are stored in the storage means, the print job determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time is deleted from among candidates for deletion including the print job assigned the high priority and for which a predetermined period has passed since printing completion and the print job assigned the low priority. 4. The image processing device according to configuration 3. (Configuration 7) The storage control unit deletes the print job from the candidates for deletion, the print job having the longest elapsed time from any one of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input. 7. The image processing device according to configuration 6, (Configuration 8) When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the low priority is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit deletes the print job determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time from among the print jobs assigned the high priority. 4. The image processing device according to configuration 3. (Configuration 9) The storage control unit deletes the print job that has the longest elapsed time from any one of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input. 9. The image processing device according to configuration 8, (Configuration 10) The applying means is assigning a high priority to the print job for which the printed matter is to be inspected; A low priority is assigned to the print job that does not undergo inspection of the printed matter. 10. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 3 to 9, (Configuration 11) The storage control unit determines an initial value of the priority based on a setting for storing the print job in the storage unit. 11. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 3 to 10, (Configuration 12) The storage control means stores the print jobs stored in the storage means so that the print jobs that inspect the printed matter by referring to reference image data generated from the print jobs are stored in priority over the print jobs that do not inspect the printed matter. 12. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, (Configuration 13) The storage control means stores the print jobs that do not store the reference image data so as to continue storing the print jobs that do store the reference image data in priority to the print jobs that store the reference image data. 13. The image processing device according to configuration 12. (Configuration 14) The storage control means stores the print job including an instruction to create a report on the inspection so as to continue to store the print job in priority to the print job not including the instruction to create the report. 14. The image processing device according to configuration 12 or 13. (Configuration 15) The storage control means stores the print jobs having a higher inspection level at the time of the inspection so as to be stored with a higher priority. 15. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 12 to 14. (Configuration 16) Reference image data corresponding to the print job stored in the storage means and obtained by reading a print product without defects is stored in the storage means in association with the print job; When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value, the storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information and the reference image data linked to the print job from among the print jobs and the reference image data stored in the storage unit. 16. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 15. (Configuration 17) The storage control means stores the print job that outputs a print product that is partially different for each print unit so as to continue storing the print job in priority to the print job that does not output a print product that is partially different for each print unit. 17. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 16, (Configuration 18) The storage control means stores the print job that is to be stored so as to be continuously stored in the storage means in preference to the storage means for a longer period of time than the print job that is to be stored so as not to be continuously stored in the storage means in preference to the storage means. 18. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 17. (Configuration 19) The storage control means stores the print job to be stored so as not to be continuously stored in the storage means in a state of lower accessibility for a shorter period of time than the print job to be stored so as to be continuously stored in the storage means in a state of higher priority. 19. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 18, (Configuration 20) an assigning step of analyzing the input print job of the printed matter and assigning information indicating the possibility of reusing the print job to the print job; a control step of storing the print job to which the information has been added so that the print job continues to be stored in a storage unit even after printing by the print job has been executed; Including, In the storage control step, a print job determined based on the information is deleted from among the print jobs stored in the storage means. 2. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising: (Configuration 21) 21. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 20. (Configuration 22) a storage control means for storing an input print job for a print product in a storage means so that the print job continues to be stored in the storage means even after printing of the print job has been executed; and The storage control means continues to store, among the print jobs stored in the storage means, print jobs that perform defect inspection of printed matter with priority over print jobs that do not perform defect inspection of printed matter. 1. An image processing device comprising:

Claims

1. an assigning unit that analyzes an input print job for a printed matter and assigns information to the print job that indicates the possibility of reusing the print job; a storage control unit that stores the print job to which the information has been added so that the print job continues to be stored in a storage unit even after printing by the print job has been executed; and The storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information from among the print jobs stored in the storage unit.

1. An image processing device comprising:

2. The storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information when the free space in the storage unit is less than a specified value.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the assigning unit assigns, as the information, a priority to the print job indicating a degree of storage so that the print job is to be kept stored preferentially in the storage unit; The storage control means deletes the print jobs to which a lower priority is assigned from among the print jobs stored in the storage means so as not to continue to store the print jobs in preference to the print jobs to which a higher priority is assigned.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2.

4. When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the high priority is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit deletes the print job, determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time, from among the print jobs assigned the low priority.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3.

5. 5. The image processing device according to claim 4, wherein the storage control means deletes the print job for which the longest elapsed time has elapsed since any one of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input.

6. The storage control means When the free space of the storage means is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the low priority and the print job assigned the high priority are stored in the storage means, the print job determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time is deleted from among candidates for deletion including the print job assigned the high priority and for which a predetermined period has passed since printing completion and the print job assigned the low priority.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3.

7. The storage control unit deletes the print job from the candidates for deletion, the print job having the longest elapsed time from any one of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6,

8. When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value and the print job assigned the low priority is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit deletes the print job determined according to the elapsed time from a starting date and time from among the print jobs assigned the high priority.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3.

9. The storage control unit deletes the print job that has the longest elapsed time from any one of the date and time when the printing was completed, the date and time when the print job was created, and the date and time when the print job was input.

9. The image processing device according to claim 8,

10. The applying means is assigning a high priority to the print job for which the printed matter is to be inspected; A low priority is assigned to the print job that does not undergo inspection of the printed matter.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3.

11. The storage control unit determines an initial value of the priority based on a setting for storing the print job in the storage unit.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3.

12. The storage control means stores the print jobs stored in the storage means so that the print jobs that inspect the printed matter by referring to reference image data generated from the print jobs are stored in priority over the print jobs that do not inspect the printed matter.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

13. The storage control means stores the print jobs that do not store the reference image data so as to continue storing the print jobs that do store the reference image data in priority to the print jobs that store the reference image data.

13. The image processing device according to claim 12.

14. 13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the storage control means stores the print job including an instruction to create a report related to the inspection so as to continue to store the print job in priority to the print job not including the instruction to create the report.

15. The storage control means stores the print jobs having a higher inspection level at the time of the inspection so as to be stored with a higher priority.

13. The image processing device according to claim 12.

16. Reference image data corresponding to the print job stored in the storage means and obtained by reading a print product without defects is stored in the storage means in association with the print job; When the free space of the storage unit is less than a specified value, the storage control unit deletes the print job determined based on the information and the reference image data linked to the print job from among the print jobs and the reference image data stored in the storage unit.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

17. 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage control means stores the print job that outputs a printed matter that is partially different for each print unit so as to continue to store the print job in priority to the print job that does not output a printed matter that is partially different for each print unit.

18. The storage control means stores the print job that is to be stored so as to be continuously stored in the storage means in preference to the storage means for a longer period of time than the print job that is to be stored so as not to be continuously stored in the storage means in preference to the storage means.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

19. The storage control means stores the print job to be stored so as not to be continuously stored in the storage means in a state of lower accessibility for a shorter period of time than the print job to be stored so as to be continuously stored in the storage means in a state of higher priority.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

20. an assigning step of analyzing the input print job of the printed material and assigning information indicating the possibility of reusing the print job to the print job; a storage control step of storing the print job to which the information has been added so that the print job continues to be stored in a storage unit even after printing by the print job has been executed; Including, In the storage control step, a print job determined based on the information is deleted from among the print jobs stored in the storage means.

2. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising:

21. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 20.

22. a storage control means for storing an input print job for a print product in a storage means so that the print job continues to be stored in the storage means even after printing of the print job has been executed; and The storage control means continues to store, among the print jobs stored in the storage means, print jobs that perform defect inspection of printed matter with priority over print jobs that do not perform defect inspection of printed matter.

1. An image processing device comprising:

Images