Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To reduce skew without separately providing an imaging device for imaging a document only for determining a document position.SOLUTION: The information processing apparatus includes a color information acquisition unit configured to acquire a read image in which a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming apparatus is read by an image reading apparatus, a skew influence identification unit configured to identify whether or not extraction failure of a patch color is influenced by a skew based on a skew direction when extraction failure is identified from the acquired read image, a read count determination unit configured to determine whether or not the number of times of reading of the read image is larger than a predetermined number of times, and a display control unit configured to cause a display device to display a rereading instruction which is an instruction to reread the color chart by the image reading apparatus so as to reduce the influence of skew at the time of printing of the color chart when it is determined that the extraction failure is influenced by the skew.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] To maintain the quality of printed materials at printing companies, they must print a specified color chart, read it using a color measurement device such as a scanner, and then perform color adjustments based on the difference from the target color. In this case, to create a profile with high accuracy through color adjustments, it is necessary to appropriately address skew that occurs when the color chart is printed and when it is read by the color measurement device.

[0003] As a technique for dealing with such skew, a technique has been disclosed which includes a transport means for transporting the document, a reading means for reading the image surface of the document while the document is transported by the transport means, a photographing means for photographing the image surface of the document, and a display means for displaying the image surface of the document photographed by the photographing means, and the display means displays a mark for adjusting the position of the document together with the image surface of the document (for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that, in order to accurately fine-tune the document set position and correct the skew, in addition to the device that reads the actual document, a separate imaging means is required to photograph the document in order to determine the document position.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can reduce skew without using a separate imaging device that images the document. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention comprises an acquisition unit that acquires from the image reading device a read image of a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device, the read image being read by the image reading device; a skew influence determination unit that, if extraction of the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit fails, determines whether the failure of extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on the direction of skew; a read count determination unit that determines whether the read count, which is the number of times the read image is read, is greater than a predetermined number; and a display control unit that, if the skew influence determination unit determines that the failure of extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and if the read count determination unit determines that the read count is not greater than the predetermined number, causes a display device to display a reread instruction, which is an instruction to reread the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart was printed, by the skew when read by the image reading device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, skew can be reduced without providing a separate imaging device for imaging the document solely for determining the document position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration and overall operation of an image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of setting a color chart in the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a color chart. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the patch image and pixels of the color chart read by the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of extracting the color of a patch of a color chart in the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which skew occurs in the patches of the color chart read by the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of extracting patch colors when the color chart is skewed in the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the mechanism by which skew occurs when a color chart is read. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining skew when printing and reading patches of a color chart. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of setting a color chart to reduce skew during reading. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing rereading of a color chart, displayed on the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing reprinting of a color chart, displayed on the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation flow of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations for determining reprocessing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18]FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of an information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations for determining reprocessing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of an information processing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations for determining reprocessing according to the third embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of an information processing device according to a modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations for determining reprocessing according to the modified example of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and the components in the following embodiments include those that would be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalents. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiments.

[0010] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration and overall operation of an image forming system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram explaining the operation of setting a color chart in an image reading device according to this embodiment. An overview of the overall configuration and overall operation of the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0011] The image forming system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an information processing system that uses a color chart to perform color adjustment of an image forming device. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 10, a DFE (Digital Front End) 11, an information processing device 20, and an image reading device 30. The devices included in the image forming system 1 are capable of data communication with each other via a network (network N shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later).

[0012] The image forming apparatus 10 is an image forming apparatus such as a commercial printing apparatus that is the target of color adjustment processing. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 receives image data of a color chart CC (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as color chart data) held in an information processing apparatus 20, and prints out a color chart CC used for color adjustment based on the color chart data. The specific configuration of the color chart CC will be described later with reference to Fig. 6.

[0013] 1, one image forming apparatus 10 is shown as the image forming apparatus, but the number is not limited, and multiple image forming apparatuses 10 may be included. In this case, a color chart CC is printed for each image forming apparatus 10, and color adjustment is performed for each image forming apparatus 10 using the color chart CC.

[0014] The DFE 11 is an information processing device that performs predetermined image processing on print job data received from a PC (Personal Computer) or the like, and then issues a print command to the image forming device 10.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 10 has been described above as a commercial printing apparatus that executes printing processing in response to print commands from the DFE 11. However, the image forming apparatus 10 is not limited to this and may be, for example, a normal electrophotographic or inkjet printer having a printer function as its main function, or an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral). Here, an MFP is a multifunction device that has at least two of the following functions: a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a fax function. Furthermore, the functions of the DFE 11 may be included in the image forming apparatus 10, but the DFE 11 may not be included in the configuration included in the image forming system 1.

[0016] The information processing device 20 is an information processing device such as a PC or a workstation that generates color chart data to be printed out by the image forming device 10. When performing color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10, the information processing device 20 transmits the generated color chart data to the image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 performs color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10 using image data obtained by reading, with an image reading device 30, the color chart CC printed out from the image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 also creates an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile through the color adjustment processing and transmits it to the corresponding image forming device 10 as the destination to which the ICC profile is to be applied. The image forming device 10 then performs printout using the received ICC profile (hereinafter simply referred to as the profile).

[0017] The device to which the profile is applied may be the image forming device 10, the DFE 11, a print server, or other devices. The information processing device 20 may be a terminal device such as a PC or smartphone used by a user, or may be a cloud server device that provides functions as a cloud service.

[0018] The image reading device 30 is a device that reads a color chart CC printed by the image forming apparatus 10 and set in the paper feed tray 32 shown in FIG. 2, and generates a read image composed of color information data obtained by converting the read values ​​into colorimetric values ​​such as L*a*b* values, XYZ values, or RGB values. In this case, the image reading device 30 performs the reading process in response to a command from the information processing device 20 (for example, a command based on a reading operation via a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later). The image reading device 30 transmits the read image composed of the generated colorimetric values ​​to the information processing device 20. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, when a user sets the color chart CC in the paper feed tray 32 to be read by the image reading device 30, the user slides the left guide plate 31a and the right guide plate 31b in directions perpendicular to the paper feed direction to match the paper size of the color chart CC.

[0019] The image reading device 30 may be, for example, an image scanner, a colorimeter, or a line sensor provided on a paper transport path inside the image forming apparatus 10, but is not limited to these, and may be any device capable of acquiring color information data of the color chart CC. The following description will be given assuming that the read values ​​(colorimetric values) obtained by the reading process by the image reading device 30 are L*a*b* values ​​(hereinafter simply referred to as Lab values) in the L*a*b* color system. The image reading device 30 is not limited to converting the read values ​​into colorimetric values ​​such as Lab values ​​by itself. The image reading device 30 may transmit the read values ​​as RAW data to the information processing device 20, and the RAW data may be converted into colorimetric values ​​such as Lab values ​​by the information processing device 20.

[0020] (Hardware configuration of image forming device) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that the hardware configuration will be described assuming that the image forming apparatus 10 is an MFP, but the same configuration applies to other types of printing devices.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is configured such that a controller 500, an operation display unit 510, an FCU (Facsimile Control Unit) 520, a plotter 531 (printing device), and a scanner 532 are connected via a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) bus.

[0022] The controller 500 is a device that controls the entire image forming apparatus 10 , and controls drawing, communication, and input from the operation display unit 510 .

[0023] The operation display unit 510 is, for example, a touch panel, and is a device that accepts input to the controller 500 (input function) and displays the status of the image forming device 10 (display function), and is directly connected to the ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 506 described later.

[0024] The FCU 520 is a device that implements a fax function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0025] The plotter 531 is a device that realizes a printing function by forming and printing an image on a recording medium such as paper, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus. The scanner 532 is a function that realizes a scanner function and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0026] The controller 500 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a system memory (MEM-P) 502, a northbridge (NB) 503, a southbridge (SB) 504a, a network I / F 504b, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) I / F 504c, a Centronics I / F 504d, an ASIC 506, a local memory (MEM-C) 507, and an auxiliary storage device 508.

[0027] The CPU 501 performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 10, and is connected to a chip set consisting of a system memory 502, a north bridge 503, and a south bridge 504a, and is connected to other devices via this chip set.

[0028] The system memory 502 is a memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, a memory for expanding programs and data, a memory for printer drawing, etc., and has a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). Of these, the ROM is a read-only memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, and the RAM is a writable and readable memory used as a memory for expanding programs and data, and a memory for printer drawing, etc.

[0029] The north bridge 503 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 501 with the system memory 502, the south bridge 504a, and the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 505, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the system memory 502, a PCI master, and an AGP target.

[0030] The southbridge 504a is a bridge for connecting the northbridge 503 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The southbridge 504a is connected to the northbridge 503 via a PCI bus, and the network I / F 504b, USB I / F 504c, Centronics I / F 504d, etc. are connected to the PCI bus.

[0031] The network I / F 504b is an interface for communicating data with an external device such as the information processing device 20 using the network N. The network I / F 504b is compatible with, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and is capable of wired communication or wireless communication conforming to TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) or the like.

[0032] The USB I / F 504c is an interface that can communicate with devices that comply with the USB standard.

[0033] The Centronics I / F 504d is an interface that conforms to the specifications of a parallel port and is capable of transmitting multiple bits.

[0034] The AGP bus 505 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing. The AGP bus 505 is a bus that speeds up the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the system memory 502 at high throughput.

[0035] The ASIC 506 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 505, PCI bus, auxiliary storage device 508, and local memory 507. The ASIC 506 is composed of a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 506, a memory controller that controls the local memory 507, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, etc., and a PCI unit that transfers data via the PCI bus between the ASIC 506 and the plotter 531 and scanner 532. For example, the FCU 520, plotter 531, and scanner 532 are connected to the ASIC 506 via the PCI bus.

[0036] The local memory 507 is a memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0037] The auxiliary storage device 508 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), SD (Secure Digital) card, or flash memory, and is a storage for storing image data, programs, font data, and forms, etc.

[0038] The program for the image forming apparatus 10 described above may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium (auxiliary storage device 508, etc.) as an installable or executable file and distributed.

[0039] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the image forming device 10 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and it is not necessary for the image forming device 10 to include all of the components shown in FIG. 3, and other components may also be included.

[0040] (Hardware configuration of information processing device) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that while Fig. 4 shows functional blocks of the image forming device 10, these may also be considered to be functional blocks of the DFE 11.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 20 includes a CPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 603, an auxiliary storage device 605, a media drive 607, a display 608 (an example of a display device), a network I / F 609, a keyboard 611, a mouse 612, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive 614.

[0042] The CPU 601 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the information processing device 20. The ROM 602 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs for the information processing device 20. The RAM 603 is a volatile storage device that is used as a work area for the CPU 601.

[0043] The auxiliary storage device 605 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD that stores various data, programs, etc. The media drive 607 is a device that controls reading and writing of data from and to a recording medium 606 such as a flash memory under the control of the CPU 601.

[0044] The display 608 is a display device configured with a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc., that displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0045] The network I / F 609 is an interface for communicating data with external devices such as the image forming apparatus 10 and the image reading apparatus 30 using the network N. The network I / F 609 is compatible with, for example, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and is capable of wired or wireless communication compliant with TCP / IP or the like.

[0046] The keyboard 611 is an input device for selecting letters, numbers, and various instructions, moving the cursor, etc. The mouse 612 is an input device for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving the cursor, etc.

[0047] The DVD drive 614 is a device that controls reading and writing of data from and to a DVD 613 such as a DVD-ROM or a DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disk Recordable) as an example of a removable storage medium.

[0048] The above-mentioned CPU 601, ROM 602, RAM 603, auxiliary storage device 605, media drive 607, display 608, network I / F 609, keyboard 611, mouse 612 and DVD drive 614 are communicatively connected to each other via a bus 610 such as an address bus and a data bus.

[0049] The hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and it is not necessary to include all of the components shown in FIG. 4, or other components may be included.

[0050] (Configuration and operation of functional blocks in image forming systems) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a color chart CC. The configuration and operation of the functional blocks in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a communication unit 101, a job acquisition unit 102, a print control unit 103, a profile acquisition unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0052] The communication unit 101 is a functional unit that performs data communication with the information processing device 20 via the network N. The communication unit 101 is realized by the network I / F 504b and the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

[0053] The job acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires a print job such as color chart data from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101. The job acquisition unit 102 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3. The job acquisition unit 102 may be one of the functional units included in the DFE 11. In this case, the information processing device 20 may transmit a print job such as color chart data and print setting information to the DFE 11, and the user may perform an operation to execute the print job such as color chart data on the image forming device 10 at a desired timing using an operation screen of the DFE 11 or the like.

[0054] The print control unit 103 is a functional unit that causes the plotter 531 to print out a color chart CC based on a print job of the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. When printing out the color chart CC, the print control unit 103 also causes the plotter 531 to print out a color code including identification information for the image forming apparatus 10, identification information for the paper type, the date and time of printing, and identification information for the patch arrangement of the color chart CC. This patch arrangement identification information identifies, for example, the number of rows and columns of color patches in the patch arrangement (color adjustment patch group CP, described below), the size of the color patches, and the overall size of the color chart CC. The patch arrangement identification information for the color chart CC also serves as identification information for distinguishing the color chart CC itself, and can therefore also be considered as identification information for the color chart as a page. The print control unit 103 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0055] 6 shows an example of a color chart CC that is printed out under the control of the print control unit 103. As shown in Fig. 6, the color chart CC includes, for example, a color code C and a color adjustment patch group CP.

[0056] As described above, the color code C is a color patch encoding of the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10 that printed out the color chart CC, the identification information of the type of paper on which the color chart was printed, the date and time of printing, and the identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP. Note that the information encoded by the color code C may hereinafter be referred to as color code information.

[0057] Note that the color code C is assumed to be a coded version of the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10 that printed out the color chart CC, the identification information of the type of paper on which it was printed, the date and time of printing, and the identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP, but is not limited to this. For example, the color code C may also include identification information of print settings (density, etc.). Also, if there is no need to manage the date and time of printing in the color code C, it is sufficient to not include any content indicating the date and time in the color code C.

[0058] The color adjustment patch group CP is a group of patches P used in the information processing device 20 to perform color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10 identified by the color code C. As will be described later, the patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 identifies the position of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color chart CC based on the identification information of the color adjustment patch group CP included in the color code C, and extracts individual patches P from the identified color adjustment patch group CP.

[0059] The arrangement of the patches P of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color chart CC shown in FIG. 6 is an example, and the arrangement, colors, and number are not limited to those shown in FIG.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 5, the functional blocks will be further described. The profile acquisition unit 104 is a functional unit that acquires, via the communication unit 101, a profile created by color adjustment processing using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the color chart CC by the information processing device 20. The profile acquisition unit 104 stores the acquired profile in the storage unit 105. The profile stored in the storage unit 105 is applied to the control of print output onto paper by the print control unit 103. The profile acquisition unit 104 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0061] The profile is created by the information processing device 20 for each model of image forming device 10 indicated by the color code and each paper type used with that model, and then transmitted by the image forming device 10 (or DFE 11), where it is acquired, stored, and applied. In this case, profiles for multiple paper types may be stored in one image forming device 10, and when a print job is executed, the profile may be switched for each print job for a different paper type before the print job is executed. For example, if a print job accepted by the image forming device 10 includes information specifying a specific paper type or information specifying a specific paper feed tray, the profile to be used may be changed according to that information before the print job is executed.

[0062] The storage unit 105 is a functional unit that stores the profile acquired by the profile acquisition unit 104, various data, programs, etc. The storage unit 105 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 508 shown in FIG.

[0063] At least a portion of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by hardware circuits such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs.

[0064] Furthermore, the functions of each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 5 are conceptually illustrated, and the configuration is not limited to this. That is, each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 does not need to be configured as a clear software module as the block shown in Fig. 5, but the functions of each functional unit as a whole may be realized by executing a program in the image forming apparatus 10. For example, multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 5 may be configured as a single functional unit. On the other hand, the function of one functional unit in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 5 may be divided into multiple units and configured as multiple functional units.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 5, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 201, a chart generation unit 202, a chart transmission unit 203, a color information acquisition unit 204 (acquisition unit), an identification unit 205, a patch extraction unit 206 (extraction unit), a skew direction identification unit 207 (identification unit), a skew influence determination unit 208 (determination unit), a color adjustment unit 209 (creation unit), a profile transmission unit 210 (transmission unit), an input unit 211, a display control unit 212, a memory unit 213, a read count calculation unit 214, and a read count determination unit 215.

[0066] The communication unit 201 is a functional unit that performs data communication with the image forming apparatus 10 and the image reading apparatus 30 via the network N. The communication unit 201 is realized by the network I / F 609 and the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0067] The chart generation unit 202 is a functional unit that generates image data (color chart data) of the color chart CC shown in Fig. 6. The chart generation unit 202 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in Fig. 4 executing a program.

[0068] The chart sending unit 203 is a functional unit that sends a print job of the color chart data generated by the chart generating unit 202 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201 in order to print out the color chart CC in the image forming apparatus 10. The chart sending unit 203 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0069] The color information acquisition unit 204 is a functional unit that acquires, from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201, a read image formed of color information data indicating the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each color patch of the color chart CC, which is obtained by performing a reading process using the image reading device 30 on the color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10. The color information acquisition unit 204 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0070] The identification unit 205 is a functional unit that identifies the color code information of the color code C from the color information data of the scanned image of the color chart CC acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, digitizes (decodes) the color code information, and identifies the image forming apparatus 10 (model, etc.), paper type, patch arrangement of the color chart CC (arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP), date and time of printout, etc. The identification unit 205 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0071] The patch extraction unit 206 is a functional unit that identifies the colorimetric values ​​of each patch P in the color adjustment patch set CP from the color information data of the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, and extracts the color of each patch P. Details of the process of extracting the color of each patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10. The patch extraction unit 206 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0072] The skew direction identification unit 207 is a functional unit that, when the patch extraction unit 206 is unable to extract the color of a patch P in the color adjustment patch group CP, identifies the skew direction of the patch P. The skew direction identification unit 207 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0073] The skew influence determination unit 208 is a functional unit that, when the patch extraction unit 206 is unable to extract the color of a patch P in the color adjustment patch set CP, determines whether extraction was not possible due to the influence of skew of the patch P. The skew influence determination unit 208 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0074] The color adjustment unit 209 is a functional unit that executes color adjustment processing using the color of each patch P corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP extracted by the patch extraction unit 206. Specifically, since the color value of each patch P is known, the color adjustment unit 209 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing using a known technique such that the color of each patch P corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP (the color extracted by the patch extraction unit 206) reproduces the color value. The color adjustment unit 209 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0075] The profile transmission unit 210 is a functional unit that transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 209 to the image forming device 10 identified by the identification unit 205 via the communication unit 201 in order to apply the profile to the image forming device 10. The profile transmission unit 210 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0076] The input unit 211 is a functional unit that accepts user operation inputs and is realized by a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG.

[0077] The display control unit 212 is a functional unit that controls the display of various screens and information on the display 608. The display control unit 212 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0078] The storage unit 213 is a functional unit that stores color chart data, profiles created by the color adjustment unit 209, etc. The storage unit 213 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 605 shown in FIG.

[0079] The reading count calculation unit 214 is a functional unit that calculates the number of times (reading count) that the image reading device 30 reads the color chart CC during the process in which the information processing device 20 completes reading one color chart CC. At the start of reading the color chart CC, the reading count is calculated as 1. Thereafter, each time the extraction process by the patch extraction unit 206 fails and the image reading device 30 reads (re-reads) the color chart CC, 1 is added to the reading count. Therefore, if the image reading device 30 has re-read m times, the reading count is calculated as (m+1). The reading count calculation unit 214 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0080] The read count determination unit 215 is a functional unit that determines whether the read count calculated by the read count calculation unit 214 is greater than a predetermined number M (M is a natural number). The predetermined number M is, for example, a value that is set in advance at a production factory or the like through experiments or the like. This value may be set to only one value regardless of the type of color chart CC, or a different value may be set for each type of color chart CC (for example, for each type of paper on which the color chart CC is printed). Furthermore, it may be dynamically changed depending on the usage status of the image reading device 30, etc. The read count determination unit 215 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0081] At least a part of the functional units of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 5 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by hardware circuits such as FPGAs or ASICs.

[0082] Furthermore, the functional units of the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 are conceptually illustrated, and are not limited to such a configuration. That is, the functional units of the information processing device 20 do not need to be configured as distinct software modules as the blocks shown in Fig. 5, but rather the functions of the functional units as a whole may be realized by executing a program in the image forming device 10. For example, the multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 may be configured as a single functional unit. On the other hand, the function of a single functional unit in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 may be divided into multiple functional units and configured as multiple functional units.

[0083] (Extraction of color from patches on a color chart) FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the image of a patch P of a color chart CC read by the image reading device 30 according to this embodiment and pixels. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation for extracting the color of a patch of a color chart CC in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a skew has occurred in a patch P of a color chart CC read by the image reading device 30 according to this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation for extracting the color of a patch P when the color chart CC is skewed in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment. The process of extracting the color of a patch P of a color chart CC by the patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0084] The image portion of patch P included in the read image read by image reading device 30 is read as an area spanning multiple pixels, as shown in Fig. 7, based on the resolution of the reading process of image reading device 30. The pixels in the first and sixth rows and the first and sixth columns in the image of patch P shown in Fig. 7 correspond to patch P and an area outside patch P, and are therefore not detected as the correct color of patch P. Specifically, they are detected as a mixture of the color of patch P and the color outside patch P. Therefore, in theory, the pixel values ​​of the pixels in the second to fifth rows and second to fifth columns of the image area of ​​patch P indicate the correct color of patch P.

[0085] However, in reality, the color may not be detected as the correct color due to external factors such as background smearing on the paper of the color chart CC, uneven printing, or minute dust particles on the color chart CC. To suppress the influence of such external factors, when extracting the color of a patch P, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts a color based on each pixel value in a predetermined region formed by adjacent pixels as the correct color of the patch P if the difference between the pixel values ​​of the adjacent pixels is large enough to determine that the colors are the same (for example, equal to or less than a predetermined value). In this case, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts, as the correct color of the patch P, a color indicated by, for example, the average, median, or representative value of the pixel values ​​of the adjacent pixels. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, a 2×2 region, for example, can be considered as the predetermined region formed by adjacent pixels for calculating the above-mentioned difference. In this case, nine patterns can be obtained as a 2×2 region from the region of pixels in the second to fifth rows and the second to fifth columns. In this case, even if there are pixels of an incorrect color due to the above-mentioned external factors in the pixel region of the second to fifth rows and the second to fifth columns, if the difference in any one of the nine patterns is large enough to determine that the colors are the same, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts the correct color of patch P based on the pixel values ​​of that pattern (determines extraction OK).On the other hand, if the difference in any of the nine patterns is not large enough to determine that the colors are the same, the patch extraction unit 206 determines that extraction of the correct color of patch P has failed (determines extraction NG).

[0086] The examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 above are examples in which there is no skew when the color chart CC is printed or read by the image reading device 30, and there is no tilt of the patch P in the read image. In reality, as shown in FIG. 9, skew may occur when the color chart CC is printed or read by the image reading device 30, resulting in tilt of the patch P in the read image. In this case, in the state shown in FIG. 9, the pixels in the region of the pixels in the second to fifth rows and the second to fifth columns do not include the region outside the patch P, so nine patterns of regions can be obtained, as in FIG. 8, and there is no problem. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, if the edge of the patch P spans multiple rows and columns, only seven patterns of 2×2 regions can be obtained. Therefore, when skew occurs in the color chart CC, the success rate of the patch P color extraction process by the patch extraction unit 206 decreases compared to when there is no skew. Furthermore, the probability that the edge of the patch P spans multiple rows and columns increases as the degree of skew increases.

[0087] (How skew occurs and how it affects color extraction accuracy) Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of how skew occurs when reading a color chart CC. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating skew when printing and reading patches P of the color chart CC. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of setting the color chart CC to reduce skew when reading. The mechanism by which skew occurs and the effect of skew on color extraction accuracy will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 13.

[0088] First, with reference to FIG. 11 , skew that occurs during reading in the image reading device 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as skew during reading) will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 11( a), when a color chart CC is set in the paper feed tray 32 of the image reading device 30, the right edge of the color chart CC is abutted against the right guide plate 31b, creating a certain gap between the left guide plate 31a and the left edge of the color chart CC. In this case, the paper feed side edge of the color chart CC is clamped by the paper feed rollers, and the color chart CC is fed into the image reading device 30. As a result, the edge of the color chart CC opposite the paper feed side is deflected to the left, as shown in FIG. 11( b). This may cause skew when the patch P is read in the read image read by the image reading device 30.

[0089] FIG. 12 illustrates the relationship between the skew during reading, the skew occurring when printing the color chart CC (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the skew during printing), and the inclination of the patch in the read image. As shown in FIG. 12, the inclination of the patch P relative to the edge of the color chart CC (the "edge of the paper" in FIG. 12) is the skew occurring when printing the color chart CC, i.e., the skew during printing. Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the inclination of the edge of the color chart CC relative to the edge of the read image is the skew occurring when reading the color chart CC, i.e., the skew during reading. That is, the inclination of the patch P in the read image (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the skew of the patch P) is the sum of the skew during printing and the skew during reading. Therefore, the skew direction identification unit 207 calculates the inclination of the edge of the color chart CC relative to the edge of the read image as the skew during reading, calculates the inclination of the patch P in the read image (the skew of the patch P), and calculates the difference between the calculated inclination of the patch P and the skew during reading as the skew during printing. This allows the skew direction identifying unit 207 to identify the direction of skew during reading and the direction of skew during printing.

[0090] Skew information (hereinafter sometimes referred to as skew) can be expressed by the magnitude (angle) and direction of the skew. If the magnitude of the skew during printing is θ1, the magnitude of the skew during reading is θ2, and a rightward skew is a positive value and a leftward skew is a negative value, then each skew in Figure 12 can be expressed by the following equations (1) to (3).

[0091] Skew during printing =-θ1 (1) Skew at reading = -θ2 (2) Skew of patch P = (-θ1) + (-θ2) (3)

[0092] The skew can also be expressed as the ratio (gradient) of the distance in the y direction to the amount of deviation in the x direction. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the x-axis and y-axis are defined as being parallel to the top and left edges of the edge of the scanned image and perpendicular to each other, and the skew during scanning and the skew of patch P can be expressed by the following equations (4) and (5).

[0093] Reading skew = -x2 / y2 (4) Skew of patch P = -x P / y P ···(5)

[0094] Here, x2 is the amount of deviation in the x direction at a position a distance y2 away from the left edge of the paper in the y direction. P is the distance y in the y direction on the left side of patch P. P The amount of deviation in the x direction at a position separated by 100° is shown. Note that the skew during printing can also be expressed using a gradient by defining x- and y-axes that are parallel to the top and left edges of the paper and perpendicular to each other.

[0095] 12 occurs, the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 may be resolved by setting the color chart CC in the paper feed tray 32 of the image reading device 30 so as to at least reduce the effect of the skew during reading and having the image reading device 30 re-read the color chart CC. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(a), if the color adjustment patch group CP is printed tilted to the left with respect to the color chart CC (i.e., if a skew to the left occurs during printing), as shown in FIG. 13(b), by generating a skew during reading (i.e., a skew to the right during reading) that is opposite to the skew during printing, the skew of the patch P can be reduced and the accuracy of extraction of the color of the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 can be improved.

[0096] However, if extraction by the patch extraction unit 206 fails, even if the image reading device 30 is randomly re-read, there is a possibility that extraction will be successful due to changes in the reading conditions, and the probability of successful extraction will not change compared to the first reading. Therefore, extraction by the patch extraction unit 206 will fail again, resulting in unnecessary work for the user. Furthermore, if extraction fails even after multiple re-reads, there is a possibility that further re-reads will not improve the situation.

[0097] Therefore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 212 displays appropriate work instructions to the user based on the determination results by the skew influence determination unit 208 and the determination results by the reading count determination unit 215, thereby reducing the need for the user to take unnecessary steps. Such operations in this embodiment will be described below.

[0098] (Judgment of the impact of skew when extraction fails, and display of work instructions) Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing rereading of the color chart CC, displayed on the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing reprinting of the color chart CC, displayed on the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. With reference to Figs. 14 and 15, the following will describe the determination of the skew effect by the skew effect determination unit 208, the determination of the number of reads by the read count determination unit 215, and the display operation of the work instructions by the display control unit 212 when extraction is NG by the patch extraction unit 206.

[0099] First, if the patch extraction unit 206 fails to extract the color of patch P, the skew direction identification unit 207 identifies the direction of skew at the time of reading and the direction of skew at the time of printing, as described above. Next, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines whether or not the failure to extract patch P is due to the influence of skew of patch P, based on the direction of skew at the time of printing and the direction of skew at the time of reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207. Specifically, if the direction of skew at the time of printing and the direction of skew at the time of reading are the same, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of skew of patch P. On the other hand, if the direction of skew at the time of printing and the direction of skew at the time of reading are opposite directions, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than skew of patch P.

[0100] Note that the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading being the same does not mean that the degree of skew during printing and the degree of skew during reading are the same, but rather that they are the same in terms of whether they are tilted to the left or the right. That is, as in the example shown in FIG. 12, if the skew direction during printing is tilted to the left and the skew direction during reading is also tilted to the left, then the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading are the same. Similarly, if the skew direction during printing is tilted to the right and the skew direction during reading is also tilted to the right, then the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading are the same. On the other hand, if the skew direction during printing is tilted to the left and the skew direction during reading is tilted to the right, then the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading are opposite to each other. Similarly, if the skew direction during printing is to the right and the skew direction during reading is to the left, the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading are opposite directions.

[0101] Here, assume that the patch extraction unit 206 fails extraction, and the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 are both tilted to the left, as shown in FIG. 12 , so that both directions are the same. That is, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure in extraction by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the skew of patch P. In this case, by placing the color chart CC in the paper feed tray 32 of the image reading device 30 with the right edge thereof abutting against the right guide plate 31b and re-reading the color chart, a skew to the right occurs during reading, reducing the skew of patch P and increasing the likelihood that the patch extraction unit 206 can extract the color of patch P. Furthermore, if the number of read attempts is greater than the number M, there is a possibility that re-reading will not improve the situation. Therefore, by having the user re-read the color chart using the above method when the number of read attempts is not greater than the number M, unnecessary effort on the part of the user can be reduced. Therefore, if the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that skew is the cause, and if the reading count determination unit 215 determines that the number of readings is not greater than the number M, the display control unit 212 displays a color chart reread instruction screen 1000 as shown in Figure 14 on the display 608.

[0102] The color chart reread instruction screen 1000 shown in FIG. 14 is a screen that instructs the user to insert the color chart CC into the paper feed tray 32, adjust the left guide plate 31a and the right guide plate 31b to the paper size of the color chart CC, and then abut the color chart CC against the right guide plate 31b. That is, the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 is a screen that instructs the image reading device 30 to reread the color chart CC so that the effect of skew during printing of the color chart CC is reduced by skew during reading by the image reading device 30. By setting the color chart CC in the paper feed tray 32 and having the image reading device 30 reread the color chart CC according to the instructions on the color chart reread instruction screen 1000, the user can improve the accuracy of extraction of the color of the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 and increase the likelihood of successfully extracting the color of the patch P. This reduces the need for the user to perform unnecessary operations. In addition, if the skew direction during printing and the skew direction during reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 are both tilted to the right, and therefore both are in the same direction, the display control unit 212 can display a screen instructing the user to press the color chart CC against the left guide plate 31a.

[0103] On the other hand, assume that the patch extraction unit 206 fails extraction and the skew direction at the time of printing identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 is opposite to the skew direction at the time of reading. That is, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure of the extraction by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P. In this case, it is determined that rereading the color chart CC is unlikely to result in successful extraction of the color of the patch P. Therefore, the display control unit 212 displays a color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 as shown in FIG. 15 on the display 608. The color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 shown in FIG. 15 is a screen that instructs the user to start work again, starting with printing the color chart CC by the image forming apparatus 10. That is, the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 is a screen that instructs the image forming apparatus 10 to reprint the color chart CC and to newly read the color chart CC by the image reading device 30. The user can reprint the color chart CC using the image forming apparatus 10 according to the instructions on the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 and have the image reading device 30 read the newly printed color chart CC, thereby improving the accuracy with which the patch extraction unit 206 extracts the color of the patch P and increasing the likelihood of successfully extracting the color of the patch P. This eliminates the need for wasteful work, such as having the image reading device 30 reread the original color chart CC and again failing to extract it, thereby reducing the need for the user to go through unnecessary work.

[0104] The display control unit 212 is not limited to displaying the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 and the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 on the display 608, but may, for example, be configured so that the image reading device 30 is equipped with a display (an example of a display device) and the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 and the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 are displayed on the display.

[0105] (Overall operation flow of the image forming system) 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation flow of the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment. The overall operation flow of the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0106] <Step S11> The print control unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 10 causes the plotter 531 to print out the color chart CC based on the print job of the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0107] <Step S12> The user places the color chart CC printed out by the image forming apparatus 10 in the paper feed tray 32 of the image reading device 30 and causes the image reading device 30 to read the color chart CC. In this case, the image reading device 30 performs the reading process in response to a command based on a reading operation via the keyboard 611 and mouse 612 of the information processing device 20. Note that the reading process by the image reading device 30 is not limited to being performed in response to a command based on a reading operation on the information processing device 20, and may be performed in response to, for example, an operation on an operation panel provided on the image reading device 30. Then, the color information acquisition unit 204 of the information processing device 20 acquires, from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201, a read image obtained by the reading process by the image reading device 30, the read image being composed of color information data indicating the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each color patch of the color chart CC. The identification unit 205 of the information processing device 20 then identifies the color code information of the color code C from the color information data of the scanned image of the color chart CC acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, digitizes (decodes) the color code information, and identifies the image forming device 10 (model, etc.), paper type, patch arrangement of the color chart CC (arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP), date and time of printout, etc. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0108] <Step S13> The patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 initializes a loop counter n to 1. Then, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0109] <Step S14> The patch extraction unit 206 identifies the colorimetric values ​​of each patch P in the color adjustment patch set CP from the color information data of the scanned image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, and extracts the color of the n-th patch P from among the patches P. Here, the method for extracting the color of the patch P is as described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0110] <Step S15> If the patch extraction unit 206 is able to extract the color of the nth patch P (if extraction is OK) (step S15: Yes), proceed to step S16, and if extraction is not possible (if extraction is NG) (step S15: No), proceed to step S19.

[0111] <Step S16> The patch extraction unit 206 determines whether the loop counter n is less than the number of patches P (number of patches) in the color adjustment patch group CP. If the loop counter n is less than the number of patches (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18, and if the loop counter n is equal to or greater than the number of patches (step S16: No), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0112] <Step S17> Once the patch extraction unit 206 has completed extracting the colors of the patches P in the color adjustment patch group CP, i.e., once the reading of the color chart CC has been completed, the color adjustment unit 209 of the information processing device 20 performs color adjustment processing using the colors of the patches P corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP extracted by the patch extraction unit 206. Specifically, since the color values ​​of each color patch in the color chart data of the color chart CC are known, the color adjustment unit 209 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing using a known technique such that the colors (Lab values) of each color patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP reproduce the known color values. The profile transmission unit 210 of the information processing device 20 transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 209 to the image forming device 10 identified by the identification unit 205 via the communication unit 201. The profile acquisition unit 104 of the image forming device 10 then acquires the profile from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101 and stores the profile in the storage unit 105. The profile stored in the storage unit 105 is applied to the control of print output onto paper by the print control unit 103.

[0113] <Step S18> The patch extraction unit 206 increments the loop counter n, and then returns to step S14.

[0114] <Step S19> The information processing device 20 makes a reprocessing decision to determine whether to reread or reprint the color chart CC. Details of the reprocessing decision operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 17. If the result of the reprocessing decision is to reread, the process proceeds to step S12, and if the result is to reprint, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0115] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the operational flow of determining reprocessing according to this embodiment. The operational flow of determining reprocessing will be described with reference to FIG.

[0116] <Step S101> The skew direction identification unit 207 of the information processing device 20 identifies the skew direction at the time of reading and the skew direction at the time of printing for the n-th patch P of the color adjustment patch set CP in the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204. Here, the method for identifying the skew direction at the time of reading and the skew direction at the time of printing is as described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0117] <Step S102> The skew influence determination unit 208 of the information processing device 20 determines whether or not the failure to extract patch P is due to the influence of skew of patch P, based on the directions of skew during printing and skew during reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207. Specifically, if the direction of skew during printing and the direction of skew during reading are the same, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of skew of patch P. On the other hand, if the direction of skew during printing and the direction of skew during reading are opposite directions, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than skew of patch P. If the failure to extract by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of skew of patch P (step S102: Yes), the process proceeds to step S104. If the failure to extract by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than skew of patch P (step S102: No), the process proceeds to step S103.

[0118] <Step S103> The display control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 causes the user to reprint the color chart CC, and then causes the display 608 to display a color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 as shown in Fig. 15 in order to cause the image reading device 30 to read the newly printed color chart CC. Then, the operation of determining reprocessing is completed.

[0119] <Step S104> The read count determination unit 215 of the information processing device 20 determines whether the read count calculated by the read count calculation unit 214 is greater than M. If the read count is greater than M (step S104: Yes), the process proceeds to step S103, and if the read count is not greater than M (step S104: No), the process proceeds to step S105. Note that if M=1, the operation of step S104 is equivalent to the operation of determining whether or not this is the first reading.

[0120] <Step S105> The display control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 causes the display 608 to display a screen instructing the user to have the image reading device 30 reread the color chart CC. In this case, if the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 are both tilted to the right and are the same direction, the display control unit 212 displays a screen instructing the user to reread the color chart CC with the color chart CC abutted against the left guide plate 31a. On the other hand, if the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 are both tilted to the left and are the same direction, the display control unit 212 displays a screen instructing the user to reread the color chart CC with the color chart CC abutted against the right guide plate 31b (for example, a color chart reread instruction screen 1000 shown in FIG. 14 ). The reprocessing determination operation then ends.

[0121] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the color information acquisition unit 204 acquires from the image reading device 30 a read image of a color chart CC on which multiple patches read by the image reading device 30 are printed, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines whether the failure in extraction is due to the influence of patch skew in the read image if the patch extraction unit 206 fails to extract the color of the patch, and if the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure in extraction is due to the influence of patch skew and if the reading count determination unit 215 determines that the reading count is not greater than a predetermined number M, the display control unit 212 displays on the display 608 an instruction to re-read the color chart CC by the image reading device 30 so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart CC was printed by the image reading device 30 due to the skew when it was read by the image reading device 30. This makes it possible to reduce skew without using a separate imaging device to capture the original color chart CC. Also, the accuracy of patch color extraction can be improved, increasing the likelihood of successfully extracting the patch color, thereby reducing the need for extra work for the user.

[0122] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is not due to the influence of patch skew, or when the reading count determination unit 215 determines that the number of readings is greater than a predetermined number M, the display control unit 212 causes the image forming apparatus 10 to reprint the color chart CC and displays an instruction on the display 608 to cause the image reading device 30 to newly read the color chart CC. This eliminates the need for wasteful work, such as having the image reading device 30 reread the original color chart CC without reprinting it, which again results in extraction failure, thereby reducing the need for extra work on the user.

[0123] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the information processing device 20 further determines the magnitude of the skew and decides whether to instruct a reread or a reprint of the color chart CC. In the following explanation of the second embodiment, explanations of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted, and only parts that differ from the first embodiment will be explained.

[0124] 18 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of an information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a skew value determining unit 216 is further provided.

[0125] The skew value determination unit 216 is a functional unit that determines whether the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value S. The predetermined value S is, for example, a value that is preset at a production factory or the like through experiments or the like. This value may be set independently of the type of color chart CC, or a different value may be set for each type of color chart CC (e.g., each type of paper on which the color chart CC is printed). The value may also be dynamically changed depending on the usage status of the image forming apparatus 10. The skew value determination unit 216 may calculate the skew during printing and determine its magnitude, or may determine its magnitude using the skew during printing calculated by the skew direction identification unit 207. The skew value determination unit 216 is realized, for example, by a program executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4.

[0126] If the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value S, even if it is the first reading or the number of readings is less than M, there is a high possibility that extraction failure will occur again when re-reading. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than the predetermined value S, a command is issued to reprint the color chart CC. When the skew is expressed as a gradient, the predetermined value S is, for example, a value such as 3 / 100 or 35 / 1000. When the skew is expressed as an angle, the predetermined value S is, for example, an angle corresponding to a gradient of 3 / 100 or 35 / 1000. Alternatively, the standard value of print skew provided by the image forming apparatus 10 may be used as the value S.

[0127] 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the operational flow of reprocessing decision according to this embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that in step S205, it is determined whether the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than the value S. The operations of steps S201 to S204 and S206 are the same as the operations of steps S101 to S104 and S105 in FIG.

[0128] <Step S205> In step S204, if it is determined that the number of readings is not greater than the number M (step S204: No), the process proceeds to this step. The skew value determination unit 216 determines whether the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value S. If the magnitude of skew is greater than value S (step S205: Yes), the process proceeds to step S203, and if the magnitude of skew is not greater than value S (step S205: No), the process proceeds to step S206.

[0129] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is due to the influence of patch skew, when the read count determination unit 215 determines that the number of reads is not greater than the predetermined number M, and when the skew value determination unit 216 determines that the magnitude of skew during printing is not greater than the predetermined value S, the display control unit 212 displays on the display 608 an instruction to re-read the color chart CC using the image reading device 30 so as to reduce the influence of skew during printing of the color chart CC by the skew during reading by the image reading device 30. This allows skew to be reduced without using a separate imaging device for capturing the color chart CC, which is an original document. Furthermore, the accuracy of patch color extraction can be improved, increasing the likelihood of successfully extracting the patch color, thereby reducing unnecessary user effort.

[0130] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is not due to the influence of patch skew, when the reading count determination unit 215 determines that the number of readings is greater than the predetermined number M, or when the skew value determination unit 216 determines that the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value, the display control unit 212 displays on the display 608 an instruction to have the image forming apparatus 10 reprint the color chart CC and have the image reading device 30 newly read that color chart CC. This eliminates the need for wasteful work, such as having the image reading device 30 reread the original color chart CC without reprinting it, which again results in extraction failure, thereby reducing the need for extra work on the user.

[0131] (Third embodiment) In the third embodiment, the information processing device 20 calculates the amount of rotation of the color chart using skew information and reflects this in the color chart data to be reprinted, thereby reducing skew. In the following explanation of the third embodiment, explanations of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted, and only parts that differ from the first embodiment will be explained.

[0132] 20 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the information processing device 20 includes a rotation amount calculation unit 220 instead of the read count calculation unit 214 and the read count determination unit 215.

[0133] The rotation amount calculation unit 220 is a functional unit that calculates the amount of rotation of the color chart CC using information about the skew during printing. The rotation amount calculation unit 220 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0134] The rotation amount calculated by the rotation amount calculation unit 220 is used by the chart generation unit 202 when generating a color chart CC to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus 10. That is, the chart generation unit 202 rotates the color chart CC by the calculated rotation amount to generate color chart data for reprinting. Furthermore, the chart transmission unit 203 transmits a print job of the color chart data for reprinting generated by the chart generation unit 202 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201. The rotation amount has a positive value, zero, or negative value; for example, a positive value indicates that the color chart CC is to be rotated clockwise, zero indicates that the color chart CC is not to be rotated, and a negative value indicates that the color chart CC is to be rotated counterclockwise.

[0135] The rotation amount calculation unit 220 can calculate the amount of rotation using the skew at the time of printing calculated by the skew direction identification unit 207. For example, if the skew at the time of printing indicates a rightward skew (a positive skew), the rotation amount calculation unit 220 calculates a negative rotation amount having the magnitude of the skew at the time of printing. Also, if the skew at the time of printing indicates a leftward skew (a negative skew), the rotation amount calculation unit 220 calculates a positive rotation amount having the magnitude of the skew at the time of printing. In this way, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 calculates a rotation amount that has the same magnitude as the magnitude of the skew at the time of printing and indicates the opposite direction to the direction of the skew at the time of printing. The chart generation unit 202 can reprint the color chart CC with reduced skew at the time of printing by generating color chart data for reprinting using this rotation amount.

[0136] The information processing device 20 may store the printing skew calculated by the skew direction identification unit 207 in the storage unit 213, and the rotation amount calculation unit 220 may calculate the rotation amount using the average of multiple skews stored in the storage unit 213. Because printing skew occurs due to various physical factors, the most recent data does not necessarily accurately represent the tendency of printing skew in the image forming device 10. Therefore, using the average of the most recent multiple data may be more effective in reducing printing skew. For example, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 reads L printing skews calculated by extraction NG of the most recent L times (L is a natural number) from the storage unit 213, and if the average is positive, calculates a rotation amount that is a negative value having the magnitude of the average. If the average is negative, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 calculates a rotation amount that is a positive value having the magnitude of the average.

[0137] The information processing device 20 stores the printing skew calculated by the skew direction identification unit 207 in the storage unit 213. The rotation amount calculation unit 220 may set the rotation amount to zero if the degree of variation of the multiple skews stored in the storage unit 213 is greater than a predetermined value D. This is because, depending on the image forming device 10, there may be no particular tendency in the printing skew. For example, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 reads L printing skews calculated in the most recent L extraction NGs from the storage unit 213, calculates their standard deviation as the degree of skew variation, and sets the rotation amount to zero if the degree of variation is greater than the value D. Note that the value D is a value that is preset, for example, at a production factory or the like through experiments. This value may be set independently of the type of color chart CC, or a different value may be set for each type of color chart CC (e.g., for each type of paper on which the color chart CC is printed). Furthermore, the value D may be dynamically changed depending on the usage status of the image forming device 10. The rotation amount calculation unit 220 may obtain the variance of the skew during L printings as the degree of skew variation.

[0138] The rotation amount calculation unit 220 may calculate the probability that the skew direction during L printing is, for example, right, and use the reciprocal of the absolute value of the difference between this probability and 50% as the degree of skew variation. Furthermore, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 may set the number of times to zero if the absolute value of the difference between this probability and 50% is smaller than a predetermined value d. The value d is, for example, a value that is preset in a production factory or the like through experiments. This value may be set to a single value regardless of the type of color chart CC, or a different value may be set for each type of color chart CC (for example, for each type of paper on which the color chart CC is printed). Furthermore, the value may be dynamically changed depending on the usage status of the image forming apparatus 10, etc.

[0139] If the magnitude of the skew during printing calculated by the skew direction identification unit 207 is greater than a predetermined value S, the rotation amount calculation unit 220 may set the rotation amount to zero. The value S is the same as that described in the first embodiment, and may be, for example, a value determined through experiments or the standard value of the print skew of the image forming apparatus 10. Skew exceeding the standard value of the print skew may occur due to folding of the paper on which the color chart CC is printed or due to double paper feeding. In such a case, if the rotation amount is calculated using the skew during printing and color chart data for reprinting is generated, the rotation amount may become too large, further worsening the skew of the patch P. Therefore, if the magnitude of the skew during printing is greater than the predetermined value S or the standard value of the skew of the image forming apparatus 10, the rotation amount may be set to zero to prevent the skew from worsening.

[0140] Note that, when the degree of skew variation during printing is greater than a predetermined value, the information processing device 20 may instruct reprinting without generating color chart data for reprinting, instead of having the rotation amount calculation unit 220 calculate a rotation amount of zero. Similarly, when the magnitude of skew is greater than a predetermined value, the information processing device 20 may instruct reprinting without generating color chart data for reprinting. In these cases, the image forming device 10 performs reprinting using the color chart data printed previously.

[0141] 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the operational flow of determining reprocessing according to this embodiment. The operational flow of determining reprocessing will be described with reference to FIG.

[0142] <Step S301> The operation of this step is the same as step S101 in FIG.

[0143] <Step S302> The operation of this step is the same as step S102 in Fig. 17. If the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P (step S302: Yes), the process proceeds to step S306, and if the extraction failure is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P (step S302: No), the process proceeds to step S303.

[0144] <Step S303> The rotation amount calculation unit 220 of the information processing device 20 calculates the rotation amount of the color chart CC using the skew at the time of printing, and then the process proceeds to step S304.

[0145] <Step S304> The chart generation unit 202 of the information processing device 20 rotates the color chart CC by the calculated rotation amount to generate color chart data for reprinting. The chart transmission unit 203 transmits a print job for the generated color chart data for reprinting to the image forming device 10 via the communication unit 201. Then, the process proceeds to step S305.

[0146] <Step S305> The operation of this step is the same as step S103 in FIG.

[0147] <Step S306> The operation of this step is the same as step S105 in FIG.

[0148] (Variation) The third embodiment can be configured to combine the determination of the number of reads and the determination of the skew value described in the first or second embodiment. Here, as a modified example of this embodiment, a configuration combining the second embodiment will be described.

[0149] 22 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this modification. The difference from the second embodiment is that the information processing device 20 further includes the rotation amount calculation unit 220 described above.

[0150] Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the operational flow of reprocessing decision according to this modification. The operations in steps S401 to S405 are the same as steps S301 to S305 in Fig. 21. Furthermore, the operations in steps S406 to S408 are the same as steps S204 to S206 in Fig. 19.

[0151] In step S403, if the amount of rotation is set to zero when the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value, the predetermined value used in step S403 may be different from the predetermined value S used in step S407. Also, if the same predetermined value is used in steps S403 and S407, the process may proceed to step S405 instead of step S403 if the result of the determination in step S407 is Yes. In this case, the amount of rotation is calculated to be zero, and reprinting can be instructed without generating color chart data for reprinting.

[0152] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is due to the influence of patch skew, the display control unit 212 causes the display 608 to display an instruction to re-read the color chart CC using the image reading device 30, as in the first or second embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce skew without using a separate imaging device for capturing an image of the color chart CC, which is an original. Furthermore, this improves the accuracy of patch color extraction, increasing the likelihood of successfully extracting the patch color, thereby reducing the need for unnecessary work on the part of the user.

[0153] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is not due to the influence of patch skew, when the reading count determination unit 215 determines that the number of readings is greater than a predetermined number M, or when the skew value determination unit 216 determines that the magnitude of skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value, the display control unit 212 sends color chart data for reprinting that reduces the influence of skew to the image forming apparatus 10, causes the image forming apparatus 10 to reprint the color chart CC, and displays an instruction on the display 608 to cause the image reading device 30 to newly read the color chart CC. This makes it possible to reprint the color chart CC with the influence of skew reduced, increasing the likelihood that the patch color can be extracted, thereby reducing unnecessary work for the user.

[0154] In the above-described embodiments, when at least one of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 is realized by executing a program, the program is provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like. In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the programs executed by the image forming device 10 and the information processing device 20 are modularly configured to include at least one of the above-described functional units, and in terms of actual hardware, the CPU 501 (CPU 601) reads and executes the programs from the above-described storage devices (e.g., system memory 502, auxiliary storage device 508, auxiliary storage device 605, etc.), thereby loading and generating the above-described functional units onto the main storage device.

[0155] The aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> an acquisition unit that acquires, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination unit that, when extraction of the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit fails, determines whether the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a skew direction; a read count determination unit that determines whether a read count, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control unit that displays, on a display device, a reread instruction that instructs the image reading device to reread the color chart so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination unit determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and The information processing device is characterized by comprising: <2> a skew value determination unit that determines whether the magnitude of the skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value; the display control unit further causes the display device to display the reread instruction when the skew value determination unit determines that the magnitude of the skew at the time of printing is not greater than a predetermined value. <1> The information processing device is described in the above. <3> The predetermined value is a standard value of the skew of the image forming apparatus. <2> The information processing device is described in the above. <4> The skew influence determination unit determines that the extraction failure is due to the influence of skew if the direction of skew at the time of printing and the direction of skew at the time of reading are the same. <1> The information processing device is described in the above. <5> a chart generation unit that generates a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquisition unit that acquires a read image of the printed color chart from an image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a skew influence determination unit that determines, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation unit that calculates a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control unit that, when the skew influence determination unit determines that the failure in the extraction is not due to the influence of the skew of the patch, causes the image forming device to reprint the color chart and causes the image reading device to newly read the color chart, to be displayed on a display device; Equipped with The information processing apparatus is characterized in that the chart generation unit generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated by the rotation amount calculation unit. <6> a storage unit that stores information about the skew during printing; the rotation amount calculation unit calculates the rotation amount using an average of a plurality of pieces of skew information stored in the storage unit. <5> The information processing device is described in the above. <7> a storage unit that stores information about the skew during printing; The rotation amount calculation unit sets the rotation amount to zero when the degree of variation in the skew information stored in the storage unit is greater than a predetermined value. <5> The information processing device is described in the above. <8> the rotation amount calculation unit sets the rotation amount to zero when the magnitude of the skew indicated by the information on the skew at the time of printing is greater than a predetermined value; <5> The information processing device is described in the above. <9> The predetermined value is a standard value of the skew of the image forming apparatus. <8> The information processing device is described in the above. <10> An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; the image forming apparatus; the image reading device; It is an information processing system equipped with the above. <11> an acquiring step of acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination step of determining, when extraction of the patch color from the read image acquired by the acquisition step fails, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a skew direction; a reading number determination step of determining whether or not a reading number, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control step of displaying on a display device a reread instruction that instructs the image reading device to reread the color chart so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination step determines that the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination step determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and The information processing method is characterized by comprising: <12> a chart generation step of generating a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquiring step of acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading the printed color chart with the image reading device; an extraction step of extracting the color of the patch from the read image acquired in the acquisition step; a skew influence determination step of determining, when the extraction step fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation step of calculating a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control step of causing the image forming device to reprint the color chart and displaying instructions to cause the image reading device to newly read the color chart on a display device when the skew influence determination step determines that the failure in extraction is not due to the influence of skew of the patch; Including, In the information processing method, the chart generating step generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated in the rotation amount calculating step. <13> Computer, an acquiring means for acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination means for determining, when an extraction of the patch color from the read image acquired by the acquisition means fails, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to an influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a skew direction; a read count determination means for determining whether or not a read count, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control means for displaying on a display device a reread instruction, which is an instruction to reread the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination means determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination means determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and The program is characterized by functioning as follows. <14> Computer, a chart generating means for generating a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquisition means for acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image of the printed color chart read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a skew influence determining means for determining, when the extraction means fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation means for calculating a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control means for causing the image forming device to reprint a color chart and for causing the image reading device to newly read the color chart when the skew influence determination means determines that the failure in extraction is not due to the influence of skew of the patch, and for causing the display device to display an instruction to It functions as The chart generating means is a program that generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated by the rotation amount calculating means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0156] 1. Image forming system 10 Image forming device 11 DFE 20 Information processing equipment 30 Image reader 31a Left guide plate 31b Right guide plate 32 Paper tray 101 Communications Department 102 Job Acquisition Unit 103 Printing control unit 104 Profile Acquisition Unit 105 Storage section 201 Communications Department 202 Chart Generation Unit 203 Chart Transmission Unit 204 Color information acquisition unit 205 Identification Unit 206 Patch Extraction Unit 207 Skew direction identification unit 208 Skew influence judgment unit 209 Color adjustment section 210 Profile transmission unit 211 Input section 212 Display control unit 213 Storage section 214 Reading count calculation unit 215 Reading count determination unit 216 Skew value determination unit 220 Rotation amount calculation unit 500 Controller 501 CPU 502 System Memory (MEM-P) 503 Northbridge (NB) 504a Southbridge (SB) 504b Network I / F 504c USB I / F 504d Centronics I / F 505 AGP 506 ASIC 507 Local Memory (MEM-C) 508 Auxiliary storage 510 Operation display section 520 FCU 531 Plotter 532 Scanner 601 CPU 602 ROM 603 RAM 605 Auxiliary storage 606 Recording Media 607 Media Drive 608 Display 609 Network I / F 610 Bus 611 keyboard 612 Mouse 613 DVD 614 DVD drive 1000 Color chart re-read instruction screen 1100 Color chart reprint instruction screen C Color Code CC Color Chart CP color adjustment patches N Network P patch [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0157] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-082717

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination unit that, when extraction of the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit fails, determines whether the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a direction of skew; a read count determination unit that determines whether a read count, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control unit that displays, on a display device, a reread instruction that instructs the image reading device to reread the color chart so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination unit determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and An information processing device comprising:

2. a skew value determination unit that determines whether the magnitude of the skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value; 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit further causes the display device to display the reread instruction when the skew value determination unit determines that the magnitude of the skew at the time of printing is not greater than a predetermined value.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined value is a standard value of the skew of the image forming apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the skew influence determination unit determines that the extraction failure is due to the influence of skew if the direction of skew during printing and the direction of skew during reading are the same.

5. a chart generation unit that generates a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquisition unit that acquires a read image of the printed color chart from an image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a skew influence determination unit that, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation unit that calculates a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control unit that, when the skew influence determination unit determines that the failure in the extraction is not due to the influence of the skew of the patch, causes the image forming device to reprint the color chart and causes the image reading device to newly read the color chart, to be displayed on a display device; Equipped with The information processing apparatus is characterized in that the chart generation unit generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated by the rotation amount calculation unit.

6. a storage unit that stores information about the skew during printing; The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the rotation amount calculation unit calculates the rotation amount using an average of a plurality of pieces of skew information stored in the storage unit.

7. a storage unit that stores information about the skew during printing; The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the rotation amount calculation unit sets the rotation amount to zero when a degree of variation in the skew information stored in the storage unit is greater than a predetermined value.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the rotation amount calculation unit sets the rotation amount to zero when the magnitude of the skew indicated by the information on the skew during printing is greater than a predetermined value.

9. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined value is a standard value of the skew of the image forming apparatus.

10. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; the image forming apparatus; the image reading device; An information processing system comprising:

11. an acquiring step of acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination step of determining, when extraction of the patch color from the read image acquired by the acquisition step fails, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a skew direction; a reading number determination step of determining whether or not a reading number, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control step of displaying on a display device a reread instruction that instructs the image reading device to reread the color chart so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination step determines that the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination step determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and An information processing method comprising:

12. a chart generation step of generating a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquiring step of acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading the printed color chart with the image reading device; an extraction step of extracting the color of the patch from the read image acquired in the acquisition step; a skew influence determination step of determining, when the extraction step fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation step of calculating a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control step of causing the image forming device to reprint the color chart and displaying instructions to cause the image reading device to newly read the color chart on a display device when the skew influence determination step determines that the failure in extraction is not due to the influence of skew of the patch; Including, The information processing method, wherein the chart generating step generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated in the rotation amount calculating step.

13. Computer, an acquiring means for acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image obtained by reading a color chart including a plurality of patches printed by an image forming device; a skew influence determination means for determining, when an extraction of the patch color from the read image acquired by the acquisition means fails, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to an influence of skew of the patch in the read image based on a skew direction; a read count determination means for determining whether or not a read count, which is the number of times the read image has been read, is greater than a predetermined number; a display control means for displaying on a display device a reread instruction, which is an instruction to reread the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device, when the skew influence determination means determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch and when the reading count determination means determines that the reading count is not greater than the predetermined count; and A program characterized by functioning as

14. Computer, a chart generating means for generating a color chart including a plurality of patches; an acquisition means for acquiring, from an image reading device, a read image of the printed color chart read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a skew influence determining means for determining, when the extraction means fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a rotation amount calculation means for calculating a rotation amount of the color chart using information about the skew when the color chart was printed; a display control means for causing the image forming device to reprint a color chart and for causing the image reading device to newly read the color chart when the skew influence determination means determines that the failure in extraction is not due to the influence of skew of the patch, and for causing the display device to display an instruction to It functions as The chart generating means generates a color chart to be reprinted by the image forming apparatus using the rotation amount calculated by the rotation amount calculating means.

Images