Image forming apparatus, coping method, and program

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus, a coping method and a program for presenting a coping method suitable for an evaluation item of a failure, and for solving the failure even by a user who does not have expert knowledge.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus for performing desired image output is provided with a color reproducibility verification data storage part 104B for storing verification conditions including evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, allowable values of the respective evaluation items, evaluation charts and color information of a target print standard, an evaluation result calculation part 104A for calculating evaluation results of the respective evaluation items based on colorimetric values of the evaluation chart and color information of the target print standard, a determination part 104C for determining acceptance by comparing the calculated evaluation results with the allowable values, a determination result storage part 104D for storing results of the determination part and the number of times of determination, a countermeasure method storage part 104G for storing countermeasure methods at the time of failure, a countermeasure method determination part 104F for determining countermeasure methods from information of the determination result storage part and the countermeasure method storage part, and a countermeasure method display part 104E for notifying a user of the countermeasure methods.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for dealing with the problem, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] One method of checking print quality is to verify whether the colors of printing standards such as Japan Color, Fogra, and GRACoL are reproduced using color difference, chromaticity difference, and hue difference, and this is widely known and is used to evaluate color reproducibility in various certification systems that evaluate whether print quality meets specified standards. Printing companies also often check quality using evaluation items that comply with various certification systems to ensure that print quality meets standards.

[0003] If all the evaluation items pass (OK), there is no particular problem, but if they fail (NG), the problem must be addressed and the evaluation must be carried out again. However, addressing the problem requires specialized knowledge of color and image quality, and users who cannot address the problem must call the manufacturer's support, which takes time and effort to resolve.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for checking various quality conditions required by customers and recovering from quality defects by comparing quality reports with quality requirements analyzed from information formats for transmitting quality conditions and quality reports, such as PRX and PQX, and performing specified recovery processing for items that do not meet the requirements. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with technologies related to color reproducibility verification, when an evaluation item is failed (NG), no action is taken according to each evaluation item in the color reproducibility verification, and only predetermined recovery processing such as calibration or profile creation is carried out.The method of response is not changed depending on the situation, such as whether the failure occurred on the first try or on the second try or later, so there is a possibility that the quality conditions will not be met even after the recovery processing.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an image forming device, a countermeasure method, and a program that, when there is a fail (NG) evaluation item, presents a countermeasure method appropriate for that evaluation item according to the situation, and if the image forming device can handle the issue, automatically handles it, thereby enabling even a user without specialized knowledge to resolve the fail evaluation item. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that outputs a desired image corresponding to input image data, and includes: a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores verification conditions including evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates an evaluation result for each evaluation item based on the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a judgment unit that compares the calculated evaluation result with the tolerance and determines whether the result is pass or fail; a judgment result storage unit that stores the results of the judgment made by the judgment unit and the number of judgments made for each verification condition; a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when the color reproducibility verification for the verification conditions has never been passed and has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure determination unit that determines a countermeasure for the evaluation item that has failed based on the information stored in the judgment result storage unit and the countermeasure storage unit; and a countermeasure display unit that notifies a user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when there is a failed (NG) evaluation item, a solution appropriate for that evaluation item is presented according to the situation, and if it is possible to handle it on the image forming device side, the solution is automatically taken, thereby achieving the effect that even a user without specialized knowledge can resolve the failed (NG) item. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a DFE according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of stored data in the color reproducibility verification data storage unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a result of verifying color reproducibility in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a method for dealing with an NG evaluation item in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of stored data in the countermeasure method storage unit in the DFE according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of selection of a response mode in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of stored data in the decision result storage unit in the DFE according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for implementing the coping method in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an image forming apparatus, a method for dealing with the problem, and a program will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. Image forming apparatus 100 is an example of an image forming apparatus that outputs a desired image corresponding to image information (an example of input image data). In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, image forming apparatus 100 is configured by connecting a control device (DFE: Digital Front End) 10 and a printer 20.

[0012] The DFE 10 communicates with the printer 20 and controls the formation of images by the printer 20. A PC (Personal Computer) 30 is also connected to the DFE 10. The DFE 10 may be connected to the PC 30 via a network. The PC 30 creates image information written in a language such as PDL using a pre-installed application and transmits the created image information to the DFE 10. The DFE 10 converts the image information written in a language such as PDL into image data rendered in a format printable by the printer 20 and transmits the image data to the printer 20. The DFE 10 has a hardware configuration that utilizes a typical computer, including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the entire device, a main memory unit such as ROM and RAM that stores various data and programs, and an auxiliary memory unit such as an HDD that stores various data and programs. Various processes in the DFE 10 are realized by the CPU of the DFE 10 executing various programs stored in the main memory unit and auxiliary memory unit. However, these functions can also be realized by individual circuits (hardware).

[0013] The printer 20 is equipped with at least one color of colorant (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, etc.), an image-forming unit, and a fixing mechanism for fixing the colorant. The printer 20 creates and fixes an image using the colorant in accordance with the image data transmitted from the DFE 10. This forms an image on the recording medium, resulting in the desired printed matter 40.

[0014] This embodiment may be implemented by only the DFE 10, or by only the printer 20. The printer 20 may be implemented by either an electrophotographic printer and toner or an inkjet printer and ink.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, image forming apparatus 100 has a configuration in which a controller C and an engine E are connected via a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) bus. Controller C is a controller that controls the entire image forming apparatus 100 and controls drawing, communication, and input from an operation unit. Engine E is a printer engine or the like that can be connected to the PCI bus, such as an electrophotographic printer or an inkjet printer.

[0016] The controller C has a CPU 11, a north bridge (NB) 13, a system memory (MEM-P) 12, a south bridge (SB) 14, a local memory (MEM-C) 17, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 16, and a hard disk drive (HDD) 18, with the north bridge (NB) 13 and the ASIC 16 connected via an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 15. The MEM-P 12 further has a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12a and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12b.

[0017] The CPU 11 performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 100, and has a chipset consisting of the NB 13, the MEM-P 12, and the SB 14, and is connected to other devices via this chipset. The NB 13 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 11 with the MEM-P 12, the SB 14, and the AGP 15, and has a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 12, a PCI master, and an AGP target.

[0018] MEM-P12 is a system memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, a memory for expanding programs and data, a memory for printer drawing, etc., and is composed of ROM 12a and RAM 12b. ROM 12a is a read-only memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, and RAM 12b is a writable and readable memory used as a memory for expanding programs and data, a memory for printer drawing, etc.

[0019] The SB14 is a bridge for connecting the NB13 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The SB14 is connected to the NB13 via a PCI bus, and a network interface (I / F) unit and the like are also connected to the PCI bus.

[0020] The ASIC 16 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP 15, PCI bus, HDD 18, and MEM-C 17. The ASIC 16 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 16, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 17, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation and other operations using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the engine E and the ASIC 16 via the PCI bus. The ASIC 16 is connected to a facsimile control unit (FCU) 60, a universal serial bus (USB) 70, and an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface 80 via the PCI bus. The operation and display unit 50 is directly connected to the ASIC 16.

[0021] The MEM-C 17 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer, and the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 18 is a storage for storing image data, programs, font data, and forms.

[0022] AGP15 is a bus interface for graphics accelerator cards proposed to accelerate graphics processing, and it accelerates graphics accelerator cards by directly accessing MEM-P12 with high throughput.

[0023] This embodiment is realized by executing a program in the CPU 11, and data required by the program is stored in the RAM 12b, etc. Note that this hardware configuration diagram is an example, and the configuration may be different as long as it is a hardware configuration that can realize this embodiment.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a DFE according to this embodiment. An electronic manuscript created by a PC 30 is subjected to processing such as language interpretation, vector or raster conversion (rendering resolution is, for example, 1200 dpi), and color conversion to process colors (for example, CMYK) in a rendering engine / first color processing unit 101.

[0025] The second color processing unit 102 performs processes such as tone correction for calibration and total amount regulation to limit the total amount of color materials. Next, the halftone engine 103 converts the 8-bit data for each color into the image data format of the printer 20 (for example, 2 bits each), and the converted image data is sent to the printer 20.

[0026] Next, the color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 will be described in detail. First, an overview of color reproducibility verification will be provided. The user specifies the paper, printer, and verification conditions for color reproducibility verification, and issues an instruction to perform color reproducibility verification. In response, the color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 performs color reproducibility verification and takes action if any NG items are found. Verification conditions are a collection of information such as color information of the target (target printing standard), the evaluation chart used for verification, judgment criteria, and information about the colorimeter used to measure the colors of the evaluation chart, and verification conditions can be registered and saved for each combination of these.

[0027] There are various target color information standards, such as Japan Color 2011 Coated, GRACoL2013, and Fogra51, which specify L*a*b* color information, which is device-independent color information for device-dependent CMYK combinations. These are widely used in the printing industry as print color standards. In addition to print color standards, color reproducibility verification can also be performed using user-customized target color information.

[0028] For example, in a case where the output color L*a*b* for a CMYK combination of printer 20 on a certain day is used as target color information and verification is performed to verify whether the output colors of printer 20 from that day onwards are correct, the target color information must be customized by the user. The evaluation chart and judgment criteria used for verification are generally those used in various certification systems for evaluating print quality, etc., but evaluation charts and judgment criteria customized by the user may also be used.

[0029] Since different users place importance on different evaluation items and quality levels, custom evaluation charts and judgment criteria can be used to perform color reproducibility verification that meets the user's needs. The judgment criteria include the evaluation items to be verified for color reproducibility and the tolerance values ​​(pass criteria) for each evaluation item, and the color reproducibility verification is judged to have passed or failed by comparing the tolerance values ​​for each evaluation item with the results obtained from the colorimetric values ​​of the color reproducibility verification chart. If the color reproducibility verification fails, the problem(s) that caused the failure are generally addressed and the color reproducibility verification is performed again, and actual printing is often carried out only after the product passes.

[0030] Next, the function of each function in the color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 will be described. When a user specifies the paper, printer 20, and verification conditions for color reproducibility verification and instructs color reproducibility verification, the color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 instructs printing of color reproducibility verification chart data linked to the verification conditions. The color reproducibility verification chart data includes a group of patches with various combinations of CMYK values, and by printing and measuring these patches, it is possible to verify whether the target colors are reproduced. When printing is instructed, the color reproducibility verification chart (printed material) 40 undergoes color conversion in the rendering engine / first color processing unit 101 using the target color reference profile linked to the verification conditions and an output profile appropriate for the paper. After processing in the second color processing unit 102 and halftone engine 103, it is printed by the printer 20. The color of each patch on the printed color reproducibility verification chart 40 is measured using a colorimeter, and the colorimetric data is sent to the evaluation result calculation unit 104A. The color measurement may be performed simultaneously with printing using an in-line sensor built into the printer 20, or may be performed using an external colorimeter, or may be performed using an external system and the color measurement data may be imported.

[0031] Color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B is an example of a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores verification conditions including evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, target color information (an example of color information of a target printing standard), etc. Here, the verification conditions include image forming apparatus 100, paper, evaluation items, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, target color information, etc. In this way, by managing the verification conditions for each combination that results in different color reproducibility, it is possible to appropriately determine whether a combination has never passed or has passed in the past.

[0032] The evaluation result calculation unit 104A calculates the evaluation result of each evaluation item defined by the judgment criteria from the judgment criteria linked to the verification conditions acquired from the color reproducibility verification data accumulation unit 104B, the evaluation chart, the color information of the target, and the colorimetric data (colorimetric values) of the color reproducibility verification chart 40, and sends the results to the judgment unit 104C. In other words, the evaluation result calculation unit 104A is an example of an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates the evaluation result of each evaluation item based on the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target.

[0033] The judgment unit 104C compares the received evaluation results for each evaluation item with the allowable values ​​for each evaluation item acquired from the color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B, judges each evaluation item as pass or fail, saves the judgment results in the judgment result storage unit 104D, and instructs the display unit 104E to display the judgment results. If one or more evaluation items fail, the judgment unit 104C instructs the countermeasure determination unit 104F to determine a countermeasure. In other words, the judgment unit 104C is an example of a judgment unit that compares the calculated evaluation results with the allowable values ​​and judges pass or fail. The judgment result storage unit 104D is an example of a judgment result storage unit that accumulates the judgment results and the number of judgments made by the judgment unit 104C for each verification condition of the color reproducibility verification.

[0034] The countermeasure storage unit 104G is an example of a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures for resolving problems when a test fails, both when the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and when the test has passed at least once in the past. The countermeasure storage unit 104G may also store, for each evaluation item, information on the number of times a countermeasure has been implemented, the number of times a test has been resolved, and the rate at which the test has contributed to the resolution. The countermeasure storage unit 104G may also store the processing time for each countermeasure. The countermeasure storage unit 104G may also store, for each evaluation item, the manufacturer's recommended order for each countermeasure.

[0035] The countermeasure determination unit 104F references past judgment results for the paper, printer, and verification conditions stored in the judgment result storage unit 104D. If the evaluation item has never passed in the past, the countermeasure determination unit 104F acquires countermeasures for each evaluation item when there is no pass history stored in the judgment result storage unit 104D and determines a countermeasure for the failed item. If the evaluation item has passed at least once in the past, the countermeasure determination unit 104F acquires countermeasures for each evaluation item when there is a pass history stored in the judgment result storage unit 104D and determines a countermeasure for the failed item. In other words, the countermeasure determination unit 104F is an example of a countermeasure determination unit that determines a countermeasure for a failed evaluation item from the information stored in the judgment result storage unit 104D and the countermeasure storage unit 104G. The display unit 104E is an example of a countermeasure display unit that notifies the user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit 104F. As a result, if there is a failed (NG) evaluation item, a solution appropriate for that evaluation item can be presented appropriately according to the situation (whether the evaluation item has never been passed or whether it has been passed in the past). Furthermore, if the failed evaluation item remains even after all the solutions have been implemented, display unit 104E may display a message recommending contacting the service department of the manufacturer of image forming apparatus 100. As a result, problems that the user cannot solve on their own can be solved by contacting the manufacturer's service department, etc.

[0036] Furthermore, when multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F may determine the countermeasure recommended by the manufacturer as the countermeasure. This allows for efficient countermeasures by prioritizing the countermeasure recommended by the manufacturer. Furthermore, when multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F may determine the countermeasure in the mode specified by the countermeasure mode specification unit 104H. This allows the user to switch between countermeasure modes, enabling countermeasures that meet the customer's needs.

[0037] The maintenance execution unit 20A of the printer 20 is an example of a maintenance execution unit that performs maintenance to resolve a failure. If the remedy determined by the remedy determination unit 104F is feasible, the maintenance execution unit 20A executes the maintenance. As a result, if the remedy is feasible on the image forming apparatus 100 side, the remedy determination unit 104F can even execute the remedy. Furthermore, if the remedy is feasible by the maintenance execution unit 20A, the remedy determination unit 104F may function as an example of a maintenance execution setting unit that pre-sets whether to execute the maintenance automatically or after receiving a user instruction to execute the maintenance. In this case, the maintenance execution unit 20A may execute the maintenance depending on the setting by the remedy determination unit 104F of whether to execute the maintenance automatically or execute the maintenance. This allows switching between automatically executing the remedy and confirming the remedy before deciding whether to execute it.

[0038] The reason why the countermeasures vary depending on whether the machine has passed in the past is because the appropriate countermeasures differ. For example, if the machine has never passed the test, color adjustments to obtain appropriate color reproducibility have not been performed in the first place, and creating an output profile or the like is likely to be the appropriate countermeasure. On the other hand, if the machine has passed the test more than once, the cause of the failure is likely to be color variation in the machine since it passed, and calibration or the like is likely to be the appropriate countermeasure.

[0039] In addition, when multiple countermeasures are available, the method recommended by the manufacturer may be prioritized, or the method with the shortest adjustment time may be prioritized. Alternatively, the countermeasure accumulation unit 104G may store the number of countermeasures implemented, the number of solutions implemented, and the solution contribution rate for each evaluation item, and prioritize the method with the highest solution contribution rate. That is, when multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F may determine the countermeasure recommended by the manufacturer as the countermeasure in order of manufacturer recommendation. When multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F may determine the countermeasure with the shortest processing time as the countermeasure. This allows for a short countermeasure by prioritizing the countermeasure with the shortest processing time. Furthermore, when multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F determines the countermeasure with the highest solution contribution rate as the countermeasure. This allows for efficient countermeasures by prioritizing the countermeasure with the highest probability of resolution.

[0040] When multiple countermeasures are found, how to determine the countermeasure may be specified by a user by providing a countermeasure mode designation unit 104H. That is, the countermeasure mode designation unit 104H is an example of a countermeasure mode designation unit that allows the user to designate in advance a countermeasure mode for determining the countermeasure when multiple countermeasures are found. In this case, when multiple countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit 104F may determine the countermeasure using the countermeasure mode designated by the countermeasure mode designation unit 104H.

[0041] Furthermore, if the user checks the judgment results displayed on the display unit 104E and instructs the image forming apparatus 100 to take action on the failed items, the countermeasure determination unit 104F instructs the display unit 104E to display the countermeasure. For countermeasures that can be implemented on the image forming apparatus 100 side, the countermeasure is implemented automatically or in response to a user instruction. For countermeasures that cannot be implemented on the image forming apparatus 100 side, the countermeasure is displayed on the display unit 104E to prompt the user to take action. Note that if all of the countermeasures for the failed items can be implemented on the image forming apparatus 100 side, the countermeasure may be implemented automatically after the judgment result is displayed without receiving a user instruction, and color reproducibility verification may be automatically performed again. For countermeasures that can be implemented on the image forming apparatus 100 side and that should be implemented on the printer 20, the countermeasure determination unit 104F instructs the maintenance execution unit 20A to perform maintenance. For calibration and other issues that require action on the DFE 10 side, the countermeasure determination unit 104F instructs the DFE 10 to execute the countermeasure. After all measures have been taken, the color reproducibility verification is carried out again to confirm that all evaluation items have passed.

[0042] Alternatively, a cloud information storage unit 104I may be provided to store various information on the cloud, and the information stored in the color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B, the judgment result storage unit 104D, and the solution storage unit 104G may be stored as cloud information. Storing information on the cloud increases the amount of information by sharing data with other devices of the same model, enabling more accurate solution determination with a higher contribution rate. This enables centralized management of color reproducibility verification results for the same or different models to confirm the situation. Specifically, the cloud information storage unit 104I may function as an example of a cloud information storage unit that stores the number of times a solution has been implemented, the number of times it has been resolved, and its solution contribution rate on the cloud. In this case, the solution determination unit 104F may obtain data (number of implementations, number of resolutions, solution contribution rate) for the same model as the image forming apparatus 100 for which color reproducibility is being verified from the cloud information storage unit 104I and use this data to determine a solution. This increases the amount of information by sharing data with other devices of the same model, enabling more accurate solution determination with a higher contribution rate.

[0043] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing examples of data stored in the color reproducibility verification data storage unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4A shows an example in which the color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B registers and stores target color information, an evaluation chart, a criterion, and a colorimeter as verification conditions. The various items in the verification conditions can be freely combined and registered according to the user's desired color reproducibility verification conditions. However, since the evaluation chart corresponding to the criterion is often predetermined, it is preferable to register only corresponding combinations. However, if patches required for evaluation of the criterion are not included in the evaluation chart and are insufficient, the data of the missing patches may be excluded from the calculation of the results of the evaluation items.

[0044] 4(B) shows an example of the type of information contained in the color information of each target. The color information of each target contains L*a*b* information (L*a*b* values) corresponding to various CMYK patches. This makes it possible to determine the L*a*b* values ​​of the target for each CMYK patch in the color reproducibility verification chart 40, and to calculate whether the image forming apparatus 100 is able to reproduce the color in combination with the L*a*b* values ​​when output by the image forming apparatus 100.

[0045] Figure 4(C) shows an example of the CMYK patch group information included in each evaluation chart. Evaluation charts can be charts with ISO-compliant color configurations, charts with color configurations independently specified by various certification systems, or custom charts registered by the user. When verifying color reproducibility, these evaluation charts are printed in a layout that can be measured with a colorimeter. Evaluation charts can be generated and printed each time from CMYK patch group information according to the colorimeter and paper size used, or print data for evaluation charts for each combination can be saved in advance and used when printing.

[0046] 4(D) illustrates an example of an evaluation chart, evaluation items, and information on tolerance ranges corresponding to various evaluation criteria. By referencing this information corresponding to the evaluation criteria, the evaluation unit 104C can calculate the evaluation result for each evaluation item from the L*a*b* values ​​of each target patch and the L*a*b* value data of the corresponding patch output and measured by the image forming apparatus 100. The tolerance ranges may be those specified by various certification systems, or a user-customized tolerance range may be used to perform color reproducibility verification.

[0047] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the color reproducibility verification result in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The color reproducibility verification result displays the date and time when the color reproducibility verification was performed, the printer 20 and paper used in the color reproducibility verification, the target color information, the evaluation chart, the evaluation criteria, the verification conditions such as the measuring instrument, and the verification results for the evaluation items defined in the evaluation criteria.

[0048] Note that the items shown in Figure 5 are merely examples, and other information may be displayed. For example, in the case of printer-related information, the serial number of the printer 20, the controller being used, the RIP being used for color conversion, various version information, etc. may be displayed. Verification conditions may include halftone screen and various image processing settings. Verification results are exemplified by the display of the tolerance range for each verification item, evaluation values ​​calculated from the measurement data and target color information, evaluation results obtained by comparing these, and overall results. However, it is also possible to check information such as the target color information and measurement data for each color patch in the evaluation chart, and the color difference calculated from these, or to check information on the specific color patches that are the cause of the NG.

[0049] If the verification result is a failure, a button is displayed to instruct the user to take action to address the NG evaluation items, prompting the user to take action. Note that if all of the measures for the failed (NG) evaluation items can be implemented on the image forming apparatus 100 side, the measures may be implemented automatically after the judgment result is displayed without receiving an implementation instruction from the user, and color reproducibility verification may be automatically performed again. Furthermore, the verification result may be printed as a report, saved as a file, etc.

[0050] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display of countermeasures for NG evaluation items in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. When an instruction to implement a countermeasure for an NG evaluation item is issued in response to the results of color reproducibility verification, the display shows countermeasures that can be implemented on the printer 20 side and countermeasures that cannot be implemented on the printer 20 side and must be implemented by the user. In addition, a display may be displayed to encourage re-implementation of color reproducibility verification after the countermeasure is implemented.

[0051] Countermeasures that can be implemented on the printer 20 side may be implemented after receiving a user instruction by providing a button or the like for receiving an instruction to execute the countermeasure, or may be implemented automatically.

[0052] 7 is a diagram showing an example of stored data in the countermeasure storage unit in the DFE according to this embodiment. The countermeasure storage unit 104G stores countermeasures for failure of each evaluation item, depending on whether or not there is a pass history for that verification condition. As mentioned above, the countermeasures are changed depending on whether or not there has been a pass history in the past because the appropriate countermeasures differ.

[0053] Figure 7(A) shows an example of a solution to be referred to when there is no history of passing the verification conditions. If the verification has never been passed, color adjustment to obtain appropriate color reproducibility has not been performed in the first place, and creating an output profile or the like is likely to be an appropriate solution, so this is the main solution.

[0054] Figure 7(B) illustrates an example of a countermeasure to be referenced when there is a history of passing the verification conditions. If the verification condition has passed at least once, it is likely that the cause of the failure is color variation in the machine since the time of passing, and calibration or other countermeasures are likely to be appropriate, so these are the primary countermeasures. Note that, since there may be multiple countermeasures for a single evaluation item, the number of times a countermeasure has been attempted when the verification condition has failed, the number of times it has been resolved, and the resolution contribution rate calculated from these may be accumulated, and the countermeasures with the highest resolution contribution rate may be tried. The number of attempts, number of resolutions, and resolution contribution rate may be accumulated separately for each color reproducibility verification condition, such as the printer 20 and paper, or may be accumulated together for each evaluation item.

[0055] By referring to these tables, the countermeasure determination unit 104F determines a countermeasure to be taken when there is a failed evaluation item, and automatically takes action if the image forming apparatus 100 can take action.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of selection of a response mode in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. If the implementation order of the response methods is determined based on the resolution contribution rate, there is a possibility that only those with a high resolution contribution rate will ultimately be implemented. Even if a response method has a high resolution contribution rate, if the adjustment requires time, the response time may be long. Therefore, the implementation order may be set to prioritize those with a short adjustment time, or the response may be performed in the implementation order recommended by the manufacturer regardless of the contribution rate or adjustment time. By allowing the user to select the response mode as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to perform a response that meets the user's needs.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of accumulated data in the judgment result accumulation unit in the DFE according to this embodiment. Each time a color reproducibility verification is performed, the judgment result accumulation unit 104D accumulates the number of pass / fail results for each combination of printer 20, paper, and verification conditions. The judgment result accumulation unit 104D may accumulate only the presence or absence of a pass history, rather than the number of pass / fail results. This allows the countermeasure determination unit 104F to determine whether a pass history exists for the relevant conditions and switch the countermeasure to be referenced. The accumulated data may also include information such as the latest verification result and the latest verification date and time. Alternatively, the verification results, verification date and time, and result details for each verification may be accumulated and referenced.

[0058] In the example of Figure 9, there is a pass history for Production Printer A, Gloss Paper 1, verification condition B, and Production Printer A, Plain Paper 3, verification condition A, so if a color reproducibility verification is performed under those conditions and there is a failure, the corrective action for when there is a pass history is referenced. There is no pass history for Production Printer A, Gloss Paper 1, verification condition C, so if a color reproducibility verification is performed under those conditions and there is a failure, the corrective action for when there is no pass history is referenced.

[0059] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for implementing the countermeasure method in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. When the user specifies the paper, printer 20, and printing conditions for color reproducibility verification and performs color reproducibility verification, the color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 instructs printing of color reproducibility verification chart data linked to the verification conditions (step S1001).

[0060] The color reproducibility verification chart data undergoes color conversion in the rendering engine / first color processing unit 101 of the DFE 10, undergoes processing in the second color processing unit 102 and halftone engine 103, and is then printed by the printer 20 (step S1002). The printed color reproducibility verification chart 40 is measured by an inline sensor built into the printer 20, a colorimeter external to the DFE 10, the printer 20, or the PC 30, or an external system, and the colorimetric data is sent to the evaluation result calculation unit 104A (step S1003).

[0061] The evaluation result calculation unit 104A calculates each evaluation item defined in the evaluation criteria from the evaluation conditions linked to the verification conditions acquired from the color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B, the evaluation chart, the color information of the target, and the colorimetric data of the color reproducibility verification chart, and sends the results to the judgment unit 104C (step S1004). The judgment unit 104C compares the received results of each evaluation item with the allowable values ​​for each evaluation item acquired from the color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104B, judges each evaluation item as pass or fail, saves the judgment results in the judgment result storage unit 104D, and instructs 104E to display the judgment results (step S1005).

[0062] If one or more evaluation items are failed (step S10: Yes), the judgment unit 104C instructs the countermeasure determination unit 104F to determine a countermeasure (step S1006). The countermeasure determination unit 104F refers to past judgment results for the paper, printer, and verification conditions stored in the judgment result storage unit 104D (step S1007).

[0063] If the test subject has passed the test at least once in the past (step S20: Yes), the countermeasure determination unit 104F obtains the countermeasures for each evaluation item for which there is a passing history stored in the countermeasure storage unit 104G, determines the countermeasures for the failed items, and instructs the display unit 104E to display the countermeasures (step S1008).

[0064] If the test has never been passed in the past (step S20: No), the countermeasure determination unit 104F obtains the countermeasures for each evaluation item in the case where there is no pass history stored in the countermeasure storage unit 104G, determines the countermeasures for the failed items, and instructs the display unit 104E to display the countermeasures (step S1009).

[0065] The countermeasure determination unit 104F receives an instruction from the user or automatically instructs the maintenance execution unit 20A and DFE10 to execute a countermeasure, and the maintenance execution unit 20A and DFE10 execute the necessary countermeasure. The user then executes any countermeasures that cannot be executed on the image forming apparatus 100 side, and then performs color reproducibility verification again (step S1010). Note that since color reproducibility verification is generally performed only after confirming that the print has passed, if the print has failed, color reproducibility verification is normally performed again after the countermeasure has been implemented, but it may be optional to perform color reproducibility verification again after the countermeasure for the failure has been implemented. If all items passed (step S10: No), the process ends.

[0066] In this way, according to the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when there is an evaluation item that is failed (NG), a solution (measure) appropriate for that evaluation item is presented according to the situation, and if it is possible for the image forming apparatus 100 to handle it, it automatically takes action, so that even a user without specialized knowledge can resolve the failed (NG) item.

[0067] The program executed by image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment is provided in advance in a ROM or the like. The program executed by image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0068] Furthermore, the program executed by image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the program executed by image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0069] The program executed by the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a modular configuration including the above-mentioned units (rendering engine / first color processing unit 101, second color processing unit 102, halftone engine 103, and color reproducibility verification execution unit 104), and in terms of actual hardware, a processor such as the CPU 11 reads and executes the program from the ROM 12a, thereby loading the above-mentioned units onto the main memory, and the rendering engine / first color processing unit 101, second color processing unit 102, halftone engine 103, and color reproducibility verification execution unit 104 are generated on the main memory.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is described as being applied to a multifunction peripheral having at least two of the functions of a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function, but the present invention can be applied to any image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer, scanner device, or facsimile device.

[0071] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> An image forming apparatus that outputs a desired image corresponding to input image data, a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores verification conditions including evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items based on the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination unit that compares the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determines whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result storage unit that stores the judgment results and the number of judgments made by the judgment unit for each of the verification conditions; a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure decision unit that decides a countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information stored in the judgment result storage unit and the countermeasure storage unit; a countermeasure display unit that notifies a user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit; An image forming apparatus comprising: <2> the verification conditions include color information of the image forming device, paper, the evaluation items, the tolerances, and the target printing standard; <1> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . <3> a maintenance execution unit that performs maintenance to resolve the failure, If the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit is maintenance that can be performed by the maintenance execution unit, the maintenance execution unit executes the maintenance. <1> or <2> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . <4> the countermeasure method accumulation unit further accumulates the number of times the countermeasure method has been implemented, the number of times the countermeasure method has been solved, and a rate of contribution to solving the problem for each of the evaluation items; When a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure with the highest rate of contribution to the solution as the countermeasure. <1> from <3> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <5> the countermeasure storage unit further stores a processing time for each of the countermeasures; When a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure with the shortest processing time as the countermeasure. <1> from <3> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <6> the countermeasure storage unit further stores the manufacturer's recommended order of each of the countermeasures for each of the evaluation items; When a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure recommended by the manufacturer as the countermeasure in accordance with the manufacturer recommendation order. <1> from <3> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <7> a response mode designation unit that allows a user to designate in advance a response mode that determines the response method when a plurality of the response methods are found; when a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure in the countermeasure mode designated by the countermeasure mode designation unit. <4> from <6> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <8> The system further includes a maintenance execution setting unit that, when the countermeasure method is maintenance that can be performed by the maintenance execution unit, sets in advance whether the maintenance should be automatically performed or whether the maintenance should be performed after receiving a user instruction. <3> from <7> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <9> If the failed evaluation item is not resolved even after all of the countermeasures have been implemented, the countermeasure display unit displays a message recommending contacting the service department of the manufacturer of the image forming apparatus. <1> from <8> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <10> a cloud information storage unit that stores the number of times the problem has been solved, the number of times the problem has been solved, and the solution contribution rate on a cloud; the countermeasure determination unit acquires from the cloud information accumulation unit the number of times the verification has been performed, the number of times the verification has been resolved, and the resolution contribution rate of the same model as the model of the image forming apparatus for which the color reproducibility verification is being performed, and uses the information to determine the countermeasure. <4> , <7> from <9> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein <11> A method for dealing with failure of color reproducibility verification performed in an image forming apparatus, comprising: a color reproducibility verification data accumulation step for accumulating evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation step of calculating an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items from the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination step of comparing the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determining whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result accumulation step in which the judgment results and the number of judgments made in the judgment step are accumulated for each verification condition of the color reproducibility verification; a countermeasure accumulation step of accumulating, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure determination step of determining the countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information accumulated in the judgment result accumulation step and the countermeasure accumulation step; a countermeasure display step of notifying a user of the countermeasure determined in the countermeasure determination step; Solutions including: <12> Computer, a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items from the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination unit that compares the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determines whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result storage unit that stores the judgment results and the number of judgments made by the judgment unit for each verification condition of color reproducibility verification; a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure decision unit that decides the countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information stored in the judgment result storage unit and the countermeasure storage unit; a countermeasure display unit that notifies a user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit; A program to make it function as such. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 DFE 20 Printers 20A Maintenance Execution Department 30 PC 100 Image forming device 101 Rendering Engine, First Color Processing Section 102 Second color processing section 103 Halftone Engine 104 Color Reproducibility Verification Execution Unit 104A Evaluation result calculation unit 104B Color reproducibility verification data storage unit 104C Judgment section 104D Judgment result storage section 104E Display section 104F Determination of countermeasures 104G Solution Storage Unit 104H Response mode specification section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0073] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-170351

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that outputs a desired image corresponding to input image data, a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores verification conditions including evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items based on the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination unit that compares the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determines whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result storage unit that stores the judgment results and the number of judgments made by the judgment unit for each of the verification conditions; a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure decision unit that decides a countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information stored in the judgment result storage unit and the countermeasure storage unit; a countermeasure display unit that notifies a user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the verification conditions include the image forming apparatus, paper, the evaluation items, the tolerances, and color information of the target printing standard.

3. a maintenance execution unit that performs maintenance to resolve the failure, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit is maintenance that can be performed by a maintenance execution unit, the maintenance execution unit executes the maintenance.

4. the countermeasure method accumulation unit further accumulates the number of times the countermeasure method has been implemented, the number of times the countermeasure method has been solved, and a rate of contribution to solving the problem for each of the evaluation items; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure with the highest rate of contribution to solving the problem as the countermeasure.

5. the countermeasure storage unit further stores a processing time for each of the countermeasures; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure that requires the shortest processing time as the countermeasure when a plurality of countermeasures are found.

6. the countermeasure storage unit further stores the manufacturer's recommended order of each of the countermeasures for each of the evaluation items; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure recommended by the manufacturer as the countermeasure in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation order.

7. a response mode designation unit that allows a user to designate in advance a response mode that determines the response method when a plurality of the response methods are found; 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when a plurality of the countermeasures are found, the countermeasure determination unit determines the countermeasure in the countermeasure mode designated by the countermeasure mode designation unit.

8. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a maintenance execution setting unit that, when the countermeasure method is maintenance that can be performed by the maintenance execution unit, sets in advance whether the maintenance is to be performed automatically or after receiving a user's instruction as to whether the maintenance is to be performed.

9. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the failed evaluation item is not resolved even after all of the countermeasures have been implemented, the countermeasure display unit displays a message recommending contacting the service department of the manufacturer of the image forming apparatus.

10. a cloud information storage unit that stores the number of times the problem has been solved, the number of times the problem has been solved, and the solution contribution rate on a cloud; The image forming device according to claim 4, wherein the countermeasure determination unit obtains the number of times the verification is performed, the number of times the verification is resolved, and the resolution contribution rate of the same model as the image forming device for which color reproducibility verification is being performed from the cloud information storage unit, and uses these to determine the countermeasure method.

11. A method for dealing with failure of color reproducibility verification performed in an image forming apparatus, comprising: a color reproducibility verification data accumulation step for accumulating evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation step of calculating an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items from the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination step of comparing the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determining whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result accumulation step in which the judgment results and the number of judgments made in the judgment step are accumulated for each verification condition of the color reproducibility verification; a countermeasure accumulation step of accumulating, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure determination step of determining the countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information accumulated in the judgment result accumulation step and the countermeasure accumulation step; a countermeasure display step of notifying a user of the countermeasure determined in the countermeasure determination step; Including solutions.

12. Computer, a color reproducibility verification data storage unit that stores evaluation items for verifying color reproducibility, tolerances for each evaluation item, an evaluation chart, and color information of a target printing standard; an evaluation result calculation unit that calculates an evaluation result for each of the evaluation items from the colorimetric values ​​of the evaluation chart and the color information of the target printing standard; a determination unit that compares the calculated evaluation result with the allowable value and determines whether the product is pass or fail; a judgment result storage unit that stores the judgment results and the number of judgments made by the judgment unit for each verification condition of color reproducibility verification; a countermeasure storage unit that stores, for each evaluation item, countermeasures to resolve problems when a test fails, for both cases where the test has never passed color reproducibility verification under the verification conditions and cases where the test has passed at least once in the past; a countermeasure decision unit that decides the countermeasure for the failed evaluation item based on the information stored in the judgment result storage unit and the countermeasure storage unit; a countermeasure display unit that notifies a user of the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determination unit; A program to make it function as such.

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