Color chart, information processing device and information processing system

Abstract

To provide a color chart, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing system that can perform efficient color adjustment by using a color chart allowing determination as to from which image forming apparatus the color chart is output.SOLUTION: A color chart is for performing color adjustment for an image forming apparatus, and includes identification information indicating an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied, and a patch for color adjustment composed of a plurality of color patches for performing color adjustment for the image forming apparatus indicated by the identification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Printing companies need to maintain the quality of printed matter. To maintain such quality, they need to print a specific color chart, read it using a color measuring device that reads colors, such as a scanner, and perform color adjustments for each printing press according to the difference from the quality target color. Therefore, if there are multiple printing presses, they need to prepare a chart with color patches for color adjustment for each printing press and perform color adjustments.

[0003] As a technology for performing such color adjustment, a technology has been disclosed in which measurements are made taking into account the influence of in-plane unevenness, and the color reproducibility is evaluated and color adjustment is performed based on the results in order to evaluate color reproducibility and make color adjustments while taking into account the influence of in-plane unevenness (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 is based on the premise that color adjustment is performed on a single printing press. Therefore, when multiple printing presses are used to output corresponding color charts and then collectively measured using a single color measuring device (image reading device) to perform color adjustment, it is not possible to determine which printing press the color chart was output from, and efficient color adjustment cannot be performed.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a color chart, an information processing device, and an information processing system that enable efficient color adjustment by using a color chart that can determine which image forming device the output was from. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a color chart for performing color adjustment on an image forming device, the color chart including identification information indicating an image forming device to which the color adjustment is to be applied, a color adjustment patch made up of color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming device indicated by the identification information, and a judgment patch made up of color patches for judging the presence or absence of unevenness within the surface of the color chart, the judgment patch being made up of a set of patches made up of a plurality of color patches in a specific arrangement configuration, and being arranged in plurality within the surface of the color chart, and each average value of the color measurement values ​​of the color patches at corresponding positions in the arrangement configuration and each average value in the arrangement configuration are obtained. Used to calculate Position color patch Color measurement value of The presence or absence of unevenness within the surface is determined by a comparison process of the color difference between the measured value and the measured value. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, efficient color adjustment can be performed by using a color chart that allows identification of which image forming apparatus an image was output from. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of functional blocks of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a color chart. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a determination patch included in a color chart. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the judgment patch. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the color adjustment process of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of unevenness determination processing in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reading direction of a color chart. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the reading direction of the color chart. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the unevenness determination abnormality screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the first color chart. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the second color chart. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of unevenness determination processing in the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the inter-page evaluation abnormality screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the color chart, information processing device, and information processing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and the components in the following embodiments include those that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalent. 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] (Overall configuration of image forming system) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to the first embodiment. The overall configuration of an image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1.

[0011] The image forming system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an information processing system that realizes efficient color adjustment of a plurality of image forming devices using a color chart. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 1 includes image forming devices 10a to 10d, an information processing device 20, and an image reading device 30. Each device included in the image forming system 1 is capable of data communication with each other via a network (network N shown in Fig. 4 described later).

[0012] The image forming apparatuses 10a to 10d are image forming apparatuses such as MFPs (Multifunction Peripherals) that are the targets of color adjustment processing. Here, the MFP is a multifunction machine having at least two functions among a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a fax function. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatuses 10a to 10d receive image data of a color chart (hereinafter, may be referred to as color chart data) corresponding to each apparatus held in the information processing apparatus 20, and print out each of the color charts CCa to CCd used for color adjustment based on the color chart data. The specific configuration of the color chart will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

[0013] In the example shown in FIG. 1, four image forming apparatuses 10a to 10d are shown as image forming apparatuses, but the number is not limited, and two or more image forming apparatuses may be included. Also, the system may include only one image forming apparatus, but the more the number of apparatuses, the more efficient the color adjustment work can be. Also, when multiple image forming apparatuses (image forming apparatuses 10a to 10d in FIG. 1) are referred to without distinction or collectively, they are referred to as image forming apparatus 10. Similarly, when color charts (color charts CCa to CCd in FIG. 1) output from each image forming apparatus 10 are referred to without distinction or collectively, they are referred to as color chart CC. Also, each image forming apparatus 10 is not limited to an MFP, and may be, for example, a normal electrophotographic or inkjet printer having a printer function as its main function. Furthermore, each image forming apparatus 10 may be a commercial printing apparatus or the like that is controlled to print the processed print job data transmitted by a DFE (Digital Front End) that performs predetermined image processing on print job data received from a PC (Personal Computer) or the like. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 will be described as an MFP.

[0014] The information processing device 20 is an information processing device such as a PC or a workstation that holds color chart data for printing out at each image forming device 10 and transmits the color chart data to each image forming device 10 when performing color adjustment processing for each image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 also performs color adjustment processing for each image forming device 10 using image data obtained by reading processing of the color chart CC printed out from each image forming device 10 using an image reading device 30. The information processing device 20 creates an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile by color adjustment processing and transmits it to the corresponding image forming device 10 as the application destination of the ICC profile. Then, the image forming device 10 performs print output using the received ICC profile (hereinafter simply referred to as a profile). The application destination device may be other devices such as a DFE or a print server in addition to the image forming device 10.

[0015] The image reading device 30 is a device that performs a reading process on the color chart CC printed out by each image forming device 10, and generates color information data by converting the read values ​​into colorimetric values ​​such as L*a*b* values, XYZ values, or RGB values. The image reading device 30 transmits the color information data composed of the generated colorimetric values ​​to the information processing device 20. Note that the image reading device 30 may be, for example, an image scanner, a colorimeter, or an in-line sensor provided on the paper transport path inside the image forming device 10, but is not limited to these, and refers to any device capable of acquiring color information data of the color chart CC. In addition, the colorimetric values ​​converted from the read values ​​by the image reading device 30 will be described as L*a*b* values ​​(hereinafter simply referred to as Lab values) in the L*a*b* color system. Furthermore, the read values ​​read by the image reading device 30 are not limited to being converted into colorimetric values ​​by the image reading device 30 itself, but 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 ​​on the information processing device 20 side.

[0016] (Hardware configuration of image forming device) 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. The hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, 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.

[0018] 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 .

[0019] 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 apparatus 10 (display function), and is directly connected to an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 506 described later.

[0020] The FCU 520 is a device that realizes a fax function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0021] The plotter 531 is a device that realizes a printing function to form and print an image on a recording medium such as paper or a web, 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.

[0022] The controller 500 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a system memory (MEM-P) 502, a north bridge (NB) 503, a south bridge (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.

[0023] A 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.

[0024] The system memory 502 is 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, a memory for printer drawing, etc.

[0025] The north bridge 503 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 501 with the system memory 502, the south bridge 504a, and an 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.

[0026] The south bridge 504a is a bridge for connecting the north bridge 503 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The south bridge 504a is connected to the north bridge 503 via a PCI bus, and a network I / F 504b, a USB I / F 504c, a Centronics I / F 504d, etc. are connected to the PCI bus.

[0027] The network I / F 504b is an interface for communicating data with an external device such as the information processing device 20 by using the network N. The network I / F 504b is compatible with, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) and is capable of communication in accordance with TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) or the like.

[0028] The USB I / F 504c is an interface capable of communicating with devices that comply with the USB standard.

[0029] The Centronics I / F 504d is an interface having parallel port specifications capable of transmitting multiple bits.

[0030] The AGP bus 505 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to accelerate graphic processing. The AGP bus 505 is a bus that accelerates the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the system memory 502 at high throughput.

[0031] The ASIC 506 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing purposes having hardware elements for image processing, and plays the role of a bridge connecting the AGP bus 505, the PCI bus, the auxiliary storage device 508, and the local memory 507. The ASIC 506 is composed of a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC 506, a memory controller that controls the local memory 507, a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the plotter 531 and the scanner 232 via the PCI bus. For example, the FCU 520, the plotter 531, and the scanner 532 are connected to the ASIC 506 via the PCI bus. The ASIC 506 is also connected to a host PC (Personal Computer) and a network (not shown).

[0032] The local memory 507 is a memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0033] The auxiliary storage device 508 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an SD (Secure Digital) card, or a flash memory, and is a storage for storing image data, programs, font data, and forms, etc.

[0034] The program for the image forming apparatus 10 described above may be distributed by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium (such as the auxiliary storage device 508) as a file in an installable or executable format.

[0035] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and it is not necessary for all of the components to be included, and other components may also be included.

[0036] (Hardware configuration of information processing device) 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to the first embodiment. The hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, 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 (display device), a network I / F 609, a keyboard 611, a mouse 612, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive 614.

[0038] The CPU 601 is a calculation 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] The display 608 is a display device configured with liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) or the like, which displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0041] The network I / F 609 is an interface for communicating data with external devices such as the image forming device 10 and the image reading device 30 by using the network N. The network I / F 609 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) that supports Ethernet and is capable of communication in accordance with TCP / IP or the like.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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 Digital Versatile Disk Recordable (DVD-R) as an example of a removable storage medium.

[0044] 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.

[0045] It should be noted that the hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and it is not necessary for the information processing device 20 to include all of the components shown in FIG. 3, or it may include other components.

[0046] (Configuration and operation of functional blocks of image forming system) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a color chart. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a determination patch included in the color chart. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the determination patch. The configuration and operation of the functional blocks of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] The job acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires a print job for color chart data from the information processing device 20. The job acquisition unit 102 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 2. Note that the job acquisition unit 102 may be one of the functions mounted on the DFE, in which case the information processing device 20 may transmit a print job for color chart data and print settings to the DFE, and the user may perform an operation to execute the print job for the color chart data on the image forming device 10 on an operation screen or the like of the DFE at the timing when the user wishes to print.

[0050] The print control unit 103 is a functional unit that causes the plotter 531 to print out a color chart based on a print job of the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. When the print control unit 103 causes the color chart to be printed out, it also causes a color code including identification information of the image forming device 10, identification information of the paper type, the date and time of printing out, and identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart to be printed out. The identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart also serves as identification information for distinguishing the color chart itself, and can therefore also be regarded as identification information of the color chart as a page. The print control unit 103 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program.

[0051] 5 shows a color chart CC as an example of a color chart printed out under the control of the print control unit 103. As shown in Fig. 5, the color chart CC includes a color code C and a color adjustment patch CP.

[0052] As described above, the color code C is obtained by coding, as color patches, 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 out, and the identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patches CP. The color code C is composed of five color patches of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (K), and white (W). At both ends of the color code C, color patches are arranged to indicate the end of the color code C and to identify the orientation of the color code C (the orientation of the color patch arrangement). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement of the two color patches at the left end of the two ends is cyan (C) and magenta (M) from the left, and the arrangement of the two color patches at the right end is yellow (Y) and black (K) from the left. Since the colors of these four color patches are fixed and the arrangement is also fixed, the orientation of the color code C can be identified by identifying the arrangement of these color patches. It can also be said that the information arranged at the left or right end of the color code C is arrangement identification information that identifies the orientation, arrangement, etc. of the color code C. The color and position of the arrangement identification information may be determined using other methods. The color code C may include color patches of mixed colors other than the single colors C, M, Y, K, and W described above, and is not limited to the arrangement described above. The color code C may be formed using color materials of other colors, or may be formed using color patches that are difficult to see with the naked eye, using colorless and transparent clear toner or IR (invisible red) toner whose presence can be recognized by infrared irradiation.

[0053] Moreover, the color patch arranged between the two color patches at each end of the color code C indicates concretely coded information (hereinafter, may be referred to as color code information). Each color patch constituting the color code C is arranged so that it does not have the same color as the adjacent color patch. Moreover, the color patches constituting the color code information are assigned numerical values ​​from 0 to 4 according to their colors. Moreover, the number of digits of the numerical value is determined by the number of color patches constituting the color code information, and the coded color code information can be digitized (decoded). The numerical value converted from the color code information is composed of a numerical part associated with the setting information and a numerical part indicating the date and time. By referring to the setting information corresponding to the numerical part associated with the setting information (as will be described later, the setting information is stored in the information processing device 20), it is possible to identify the image forming device 10 (model, IP address, etc.), paper type, and patch arrangement of the color chart CC (arrangement of the color adjustment patches CP) specified in the setting information. Moreover, the numerical part indicating the date and time makes it possible to directly identify the date and time when the color chart CC was printed out. This allows the information processing device 20 to automatically identify which image forming device 10 and which paper type are to be used for the application of the color adjustment process in the information processing device 20.

[0054] Note that, in the color code C, identification information of the image forming device 10 that printed out the color chart CC, identification information of the type of paper on which it was printed, the date and time of printing, and identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patches CP are coded, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the color code C may also include identification information of print settings (density, etc.). In this case, specifically, instead of directly including the identification information of the print settings in the color code information, the content of the print settings may be included in the setting information that corresponds to the numerical portion associated with the setting information. Also, if there is no need to manage the date and time of printing in the color code C, the color code information may not include content indicating the date and time.

[0055] The color adjustment patch CP is a group of color patches used in the information processing device 20 to perform color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10 identified by the color code C. Such color adjustment patch CP may be affected by the printing state of the color chart CC on the paper associated with the state of the printing operation of the image forming device 10, and unevenness may occur within the plane of the paper. If the above-mentioned in-plane unevenness occurs in the color adjustment patch CP, it becomes impossible to appropriately perform the color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10. Therefore, in the color adjustment patch CP of the color chart CC according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, nine judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are embedded as judgment patches for evaluating the in-plane unevenness of the paper on which the color chart CC is printed. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, these judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are arranged at positions independent of the color patches constituting the color adjustment patch CP. Furthermore, these judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are arranged over a wide area within the color adjustment patch CP, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0056] The judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are color patch groups that are composed of the same number, color, and arrangement. That is, the judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are composed of a plurality of color patches that are arranged in the same manner, as shown in FIG. 6. When the judgment patches JP1 to JP9 are referred to without distinction or collectively, they are simply referred to as judgment patches JP. As an example of the judgment patch JP, an enlarged view thereof is shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the judgment patch JP is composed of a total of four types of color patches (gray patches), for example, a half-tone gray patch P1 made of a single color of black (K), and half-tone gray patches P2 to P4 made of composite colors (mixed colors) in which cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are added to black with three different densities, in order to detect in-plane unevenness with higher sensitivity. As described above, such judgment patches JP are arranged at nine locations in the color adjustment patch CP as judgment patches JP1 to JP9, as shown in FIG. 6. The number, colors, and arrangement of the color patches of the judgment patches JP are not limited to those described above, and for example, the number of color patches of the judgment patches JP does not have to be 4. Furthermore, the locations where the judgment patches JP are arranged are not limited to 9, and other numbers of arrangements are also possible.

[0057] In addition, in order to avoid the inability to perform proper color measurement due to the influence of flare caused by reflected light from the white paper, the periphery of the judgment patch JP is arranged so that the white paper portion and the white (W) color patch are not adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. 7. In other words, the color patches around the judgment patch JP are some color patches other than the white paper. The deviation of the color values ​​(colorimetric values) measured from these nine judgment patches JP1 to JP9 is quantified as color difference to evaluate the in-plane unevenness. Details of the evaluation method (judging method) of the in-plane unevenness using the color difference of the colorimetric values ​​of the judgment patches JP1 to JP9 will be described later.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 4, the functional blocks will be described. The profile acquisition unit 104 is a functional unit that acquires a profile created by the information processing device 20 through color adjustment processing using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the color chart CC via the communication unit 101. 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. 2 executing a program. Note that the profile is created and transmitted by the information processing device 20 for each model included in the color code and the paper type used for that model, and then acquired, stored, and applied by the image forming device 10 (or DFE, etc.). At this time, profiles for multiple paper types may be stored in one image forming device 10, and then, when a print job is executed, the profile may be switched and used for each print job for a different paper type before the print job is executed. For example, if a print job received by the image forming apparatus 10 includes information specifying a specific paper type mode or information specifying a specific paper feed tray, the profile to be used (or a virtual printer linked to the paper type and profile to be used) is changed according to the information before the print job is executed. In this case, when updating the profile, each time a profile to be used for a specific paper type is sent to one image forming apparatus 10, only the profile for the paper type corresponding to the read color code may be updated and stored, and profiles for other paper types may not be updated. Alternatively, only one profile may be stored in one image forming apparatus 10. In this case, if printing is to be performed with a different paper type, a new profile corresponding to the different paper type may be created and updated in the image forming apparatus 10.

[0059] 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.

[0060] At least a portion of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 4 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by hardware circuits such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC.

[0061] Furthermore, the functions of each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 4 are conceptually shown, and the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 4 may be configured as one functional unit. On the other hand, the function of one functional unit in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 4 may be divided into multiple functions and configured as multiple functional units. Also, any of the multiple functions may be included in the DFE or another device.

[0062] 4, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 201, a chart transmission unit 202, a color value acquisition unit 203 (acquisition unit), a discrimination unit 204, a patch acquisition unit 205, a calculation unit 206, a determination unit 207, a color adjustment unit 208, a profile transmission unit 209, an input unit 210, a display control unit 211, a display unit 212, and a storage unit 213. Note that the information processing device 20 may be a terminal device such as a PC or a smartphone used by a user, or may be a cloud server device that provides functions as a cloud service.

[0063] 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.

[0064] The chart transmission unit 202 is a functional unit that transmits a print job of color chart data for printing out a color chart in the image forming apparatus 10 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201. The chart transmission unit 202 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0065] The color value acquisition unit 203 is a functional unit that acquires color information data constituted by colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each color patch of the color chart CC printed out by the image forming apparatus 10, obtained by a reading process performed by the image reading device 30, from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201. The color value acquisition unit 203 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0066] The identification unit 204 is a functional unit that identifies the color code information of the color code C from the color information data of the color chart CC acquired by the color value acquisition unit 203, 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 color adjustment patches CP), and the date and time of printout. The identification unit 204 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0067] The patch acquisition unit 205 is a functional unit that identifies portions corresponding to the nine determination patches JP1 to JP9 embedded in the color adjustment patch CP from the color information data acquired by the color value acquisition unit 203, and acquires the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the patches P1 to P4 in each of the determination patches JP1 to JP9. The patch acquisition unit 205 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0068] The calculation unit 206 is a functional unit that calculates the average value and the like of the colorimetric values ​​of the patches P1 to P4 in each of the determination patches JP1 to JP9 acquired by the patch acquisition unit 205. Specifically, when the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JP1 to JP9 are (L*1_1, a*1_1, b*1_1), (L*1_2, a*1_2, b*1_2), . . . , (L*1_9, a*1_9, b*1_9), the calculation unit 206 first calculates the average colorimetric value (L*1_ave, a*1_ave, b*1_ave) of these values ​​by the following formula (1).

[0069]

number

[0070] Next, the calculation unit 206 calculates the color differences between the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) (L*1_1, a*1_1, b*1_1) to (L*1_9, a*1_9, b*1_9) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JP1 to JP9 and the calculated average colorimetric value (L*1_ave, a*1_ave, b*1_ave) as ΔE1_1 to ΔE1_9, respectively. Note that as an equation for calculating the color difference, for example, ΔE2000, which has a high affinity with human senses, or ΔE76 or ΔE94, which are easier to calculate, may be used. Then, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum value ΔE1_Max of the calculated color differences ΔE1_1 to ΔE1_9. Similarly, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum values ​​ΔE2_Max to ΔE4_Max using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each patch P2 to P4 of the determination patches JP1 to JP9, respectively.

[0071] The calculation unit 206 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0072] The determination unit 207 is a functional unit that determines whether or not each of the maximum values ​​ΔE1_Max to ΔE4_Max calculated by the calculation unit 206 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Thresh using the following formula (2).

[0073]

number

[0074] When at least one of the formulas (2) is satisfied, the determination unit 207 determines that there is unevenness in the color adjustment patch CP included in the color chart CC, and determines that there is an abnormality in the state of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204. Note that in the formula (2), the thresholds Thresh for the maximum values ​​ΔE1_Max to ΔE4_Max are not limited to being the same value, and at least one of them may be a different value. The determination unit 207 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0075] The color adjustment unit 208 is a functional unit that executes color adjustment processing using the colorimetric values ​​of each patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch CP in the color information data of the color chart CC when the determination unit 207 determines that there is no abnormality in the state of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204. Specifically, since the color values ​​of each patch in the color chart data of the color chart CC are known, the color adjustment unit 208 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing using a known technique such that the colorimetric values ​​of each patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch CP reproduce the known color values. The color adjustment unit 208 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0076] The profile transmission unit 209 is a functional unit that transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 208 to the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204 via the communication unit 201. The profile transmission unit 209 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0077] The input unit 210 is a functional unit that accepts operational inputs from a user. The input unit 210 is realized by a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG.

[0078] The display control unit 211 is a functional unit that controls the display of various screens and information on the display unit 212. The display control unit 211 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0079] The display unit 212 is a functional unit that performs the operation of displaying various screens and information in accordance with the control of the display control unit 211. The display unit 212 is realized by the display 608 shown in FIG.

[0080] The storage unit 213 is a functional unit that stores color chart data, and a profile created by the color adjustment unit 208. The storage unit 213 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 605 shown in FIG.

[0081] At least a part of the functional units of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 4 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by a hardware circuit such as an FPGA or an ASIC.

[0082] Moreover, each functional unit of the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 4 is shown conceptually, and is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 4 may be configured as one functional unit. On the other hand, the function of one functional unit in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 4 may be divided into multiple functions and configured as multiple functional units.

[0083] (Color adjustment process flow) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color adjustment processing of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of unevenness determination processing of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the reading direction of the color chart. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the reading direction of the color chart. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an unevenness determination abnormality screen. The flow of color adjustment processing of the image forming system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12.

[0084] <Step S11> First, the chart sending unit 202 of the information processing device 20 sends a print job of color chart data for printing out a color chart in the image forming device 10 that is the target of color adjustment processing to the image forming device 10 via the communication unit 201. In this case, the chart sending unit 202 may send the print job of the color chart data to multiple image forming devices 10. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0085] <Step S12> The job acquisition unit 102 of the image forming apparatus 10 acquires a print job for the color chart data from the information processing apparatus 20. Then, the print control unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 10 causes the plotter 531 to print out a color chart based on the print job for the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. In this case, when the print control unit 103 prints out the color chart CC, it also causes a color code including identification information of the image forming apparatus 10, identification information of the paper type, the date and time of printing out, and identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart CC to be printed out. The configuration of the color chart CC is as described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0086] <Step S13> The image reading device 30 performs a reading process on the color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10, and generates color information data by converting the read values ​​for the entire surface of the color chart CC into colorimetric values ​​(Lab values). The image reading device 30 transmits the generated color information data to the information processing device 20. Then, the process proceeds to step S14. Note that the image reading device 30 can also load and continuously read multiple color charts CC, each of which is printed with a color code including identification information for multiple different image forming devices 10 and identification information for paper type, and transmit the obtained color information data to the information processing device 20 in order or all at once.

[0087] <Step S14> The color value acquisition unit 203 of the information processing device 20 acquires color information data corresponding to the color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10 from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0088] <Step S15> In order to identify the color code C from the color information data of the color chart CC acquired by the color value acquisition unit 203, the identification unit 204 of the information processing device 20 scans the color information data from its leading edge and searches for color patches at both ends of the color code C. Normally, the reading direction of the color information data is assumed to be the direction of the arrow in FIG. 10. However, when the reading direction of the chart is reversed as shown in FIG. 11, the orientation of the color code C is detected as being opposite to the left and right orientation when it is read in the orientation shown in FIG. 10. In order to correctly recognize the color code C even in such a case, it is determined whether the color at the end of the color code C is a color patch of a specific color as described above. Note that the color code C can be correctly recognized even if a plurality of color charts CC are placed together and one of the color charts CC is reversed.

[0089] Specifically, when searching in the orientation of Fig. 10, the identification unit 204 identifies that the arrangement of the two color patches at the left end of the color code C is cyan (C) and magenta (M) from the left, and the arrangement of the two color patches at the right end is yellow (Y) and black (K) from the left, thereby identifying the color code information of the color chart CC. On the other hand, when searching in the orientation of Fig. 11, the identification unit 204 recognizes that the arrangement of the two color patches at the left end of the color code C is black (K) and yellow (Y) from the left, and the arrangement of the two color patches at the right end is magenta (M) and cyan (C) from the left, which is reversed compared to the arrangement in Fig. 10. In this case, the identification unit 204 adds a process of rotating the color information data of the entire surface of the color chart CC obtained when reading in the reading direction of Fig. 11 by 180 degrees so as to match the arrangement in the reading direction of Fig. 10. By adding this processing, the identification unit 204 can also appropriately process the color information data of the color chart CC read in a different direction, and identify the color code information of the color chart CC.

[0090] The identification unit 204 then digitizes (decodes) the identified color code information to identify the image forming device 10 (model, etc.), the paper type, the patch arrangement of the color chart CC (the arrangement of the color adjustment patches CP), and the date and time of printout. Then, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0091] <Step S16> Next, the information processing device 20 executes an unevenness determination process for the color chart CC in steps S161 to S166 shown in Fig. 9. The unevenness determination process will be described below.

[0092] <<Step S161>> The patch acquisition unit 205 of the information processing device 20 identifies portions corresponding to the nine judgment patches JP1 to JP9 embedded in the color adjustment patch CP from the color information data acquired by the color value acquisition unit 203, and acquires the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the patch P1 in each of the judgment patches JP1 to JP9. Then, the process proceeds to step S162.

[0093] <<Step S162>> The calculation unit 206 of the information processing device 20 calculates the average colorimetric values ​​(L*1_ave, a*1_ave, b*1_ave) which are the average values ​​of the colorimetric values ​​of the patch P1 in each of the determination patches JP1 to JP9 acquired by the patch acquisition unit 205, using the above-mentioned formula (1). Then, the process proceeds to step S163.

[0094] <<Step S163>> Next, the calculation unit 206 calculates the color differences ΔE1_1 to ΔE1_9 between the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) (L*1_1, a*1_1, b*1_1) to (L*1_9, a*1_9, b*1_9) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JP1 to JP9 and the calculated average colorimetric value (L*1_ave, a*1_ave, b*1_ave), respectively. Then, the process proceeds to step S164.

[0095] <<Step S164>> The calculation unit 206 then calculates the maximum value ΔE1_Max of the calculated color differences ΔE1_1 to ΔE1_9, and proceeds to step S165.

[0096] <<Step S165>> The determination unit 207 of the information processing device 20 determines whether the maximum value ΔE1_Max calculated by the calculation unit 206 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Thresh using the above-mentioned formula (2). If the maximum value ΔE1_Max is less than the threshold value Thresh (step S165: Yes), and if any of the patches P2 to P4 have not been processed, the process returns to step S161 and repeats the processes of steps S161 to S166. When the processes of all the patches P2 to P4 have been completed, the unevenness determination process ends and the process proceeds to step S17 in Fig. 8. On the other hand, if the maximum value ΔE1_Max is equal to or greater than the threshold value Thresh (step S165: No), the process proceeds to step S166.

[0097] <<Step S166>> When the determination unit 207 determines that the maximum value ΔE1_Max is equal to or greater than the threshold value Thresh, it determines that there is in-plane unevenness in the color adjustment patch CP included in the color chart CC, and determines that there is an abnormality in the state of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204. In this case, the display control unit 211 of the information processing apparatus 20 warns the user by displaying an unevenness determination abnormality screen 1000 indicating that there is in-plane unevenness in the color adjustment patch CP as shown in FIG. 12 on the display unit 212. In this case, the display control unit 211 displays, as shown in FIG. 12, on the unevenness determination abnormality screen 1000, identification information (such as a model or an IP address) of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the color code C of the color chart CC determined to have in-plane unevenness. Note that the display control unit 211 may display not only the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10, but also at least any one of the paper type, date and time, or page information identified by the color code C on the unevenness determination abnormality screen 1000. Then, the unevenness determination process ends, and the process proceeds to step S17.

[0098] <Step S17> In the unevenness judgment process, if the judgment unit 207 judges that there is no in-plane unevenness in the color adjustment patch CP included in the color chart CC (step S17: No), the process proceeds to step S18, and if it judges that there is in-plane unevenness (judgment NG) (step S17: Yes), the color adjustment process is terminated.

[0099] <Step S18> The color adjustment unit 208 of the information processing device 20 executes color adjustment processing using the color measurement value of each patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch CP in the color information data of the color chart CC. Specifically, since the color value of each patch in the color chart data of the color chart CC is known, the color adjustment unit 208 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing of a known technique such that the color measurement value of each patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch CP reproduces the color value. Then, the profile transmission unit 209 of the information processing device 20 transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 208 to the image forming device 10 identified by the identification unit 204 via the communication unit 201. Note that, when multiple sheets of color chart CC on which color codes including identification information of multiple different image forming devices 10 and identification information of paper types are printed are read together, multiple profiles to be applied to multiple image forming devices 10 and paper types are created, and the identification information is used to separate the multiple image forming devices 10 and paper types, which are stored in the information processing device 20, and the identification information is used to transmit the profile to each of the multiple image forming devices 10.

[0100] Then, the profile acquisition unit 104 of the image forming apparatus 10 acquires the profile created by the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101. 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 the print output onto paper by the print control unit 103. Then, the color adjustment process ends.

[0101] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment, the color chart CC printed out by the image forming apparatus 10 has a color code C including at least the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10, together with the color adjustment patch CP used in the color adjustment process. The information processing apparatus 20 specifies the color code C from the color information data of the color chart CC read by the image reading apparatus 30, and identifies the image forming apparatus 10 by the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10 included in the color code C. In this way, when the color chart CC is output from a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10, it is possible to determine which image forming apparatus 10 output the color chart CC by identifying the image forming apparatus 10 by the color code C included in the color chart CC, and a profile for the identified image forming apparatus 10 can be automatically created without user intervention, allowing efficient color adjustment to be performed.

[0102] Furthermore, the color code C of the color chart CC includes identification information of the type of paper on which the color chart CC is output, in addition to identification information of the image forming device 10. When the type of paper used is changed, there is a problem that it does not match the profile prepared in advance and does not achieve the level of color adjustment desired by the user. However, as described above, in this embodiment, the color chart CC includes not only identification information of the image forming device 10 but also identification information of the paper type, so that a profile can be created with the image forming device 10 and the paper type as the application destination, and color adjustment corresponding to each paper type can be performed.

[0103] Furthermore, the color adjustment patch CP of the color chart CC has embedded therein a plurality of judgment patches for evaluating the in-plane unevenness of the paper on which the color chart CC is printed. In the conventional technology, when the state of the image forming device 10 is not appropriate, there is a possibility that the color adjustment process may be executed, but by using the above-mentioned plurality of judgment patches, it is possible to evaluate (judge) the in-plane unevenness of the printed color chart CC. This makes it possible to prevent the color adjustment process from being executed when the state of the image forming device 10 is not appropriate, thereby reducing unnecessary work and shortening the time required for the color adjustment process.

[0104] In the color chart CC according to the present embodiment, the identification information of the image forming device 10, the identification information of the paper type, the date and time of printing, and the identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart CC are included in the color code, but this is not limited to this. For example, this information may be included in a barcode or two-dimensional code, etc., and printed out on the color chart CC together with the color adjustment patches CP.

[0105] [Second embodiment] The image forming system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the information processing device 20 performs the unevenness determination process using one color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10. In this embodiment, the operation of performing the unevenness determination process using multiple color charts by one image forming device 10 will be described. Note that the hardware configuration of the image forming device 10 and the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment, and the configuration of the functional blocks of the image forming system 1 are the same as those described in the first embodiment. Note that the unevenness determination process using multiple color charts in this embodiment is effective in that it can check whether there is unevenness in the entire image forming means (plotter 531, etc.) in an image forming device that can form images on multiple sheets of paper in one cycle of image forming operation. One cycle of image forming operation refers to, for example, one rotation of a transfer means for transferring an image to paper, or one rotation of a paper conveying means during image formation. By determining whether color unevenness is a problem for the entire image forming means capable of printing multiple sheets in one cycle as color unevenness between sheets of paper, it is possible to check whether adjustments, replacement, repairs, etc. are required for the image forming unit before performing color adjustment using a profile. Note that in order to determine unevenness in one image forming device 10, multiple color charts may be printed on one device and read by an image reading device to perform color adjustment, or multiple color charts may be printed on multiple image-based devices 10, and all of them may be read together by an image reading device to perform color adjustment for each image-based device 10.

[0106] (Overview of the operation of the image forming system) Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a first color chart. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a second color chart. In this embodiment, an overview of the operation of the image forming system 1 will be described assuming that unevenness determination processing is performed when two color charts are used. Note that the following operation is also the same for unevenness determination processing when three or more color charts are used.

[0107] The job acquisition unit 102 of the image forming apparatus 10 acquires a print job for two color chart data from the information processing apparatus 20. The print control unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 10 causes the plotter 531 to print out two color charts based on the print job for the two color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. When printing out the two color charts, the print control unit 103 also causes a color code including identification information of the image forming apparatus 10, identification information of the paper type, the date and time of printing out, and identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart to be printed out. In this case, the two color charts are distinguished by the identification information of the patch arrangement included in the printed color code, for example, the page identification information of the color chart.

[0108] Here, as an example of two color charts printed out under the control of the print control unit 103, Fig. 13 shows a first color chart CCA, and Fig. 14 shows a second color chart CCB. As shown in Fig. 13, the color chart CCA includes a color code CA and a color adjustment patch CPA, similar to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the color chart CCB includes a color code CB and a color adjustment patch CPB, similar to the first embodiment.

[0109] As described above, the color codes CA and CB are obtained by coding, as color patches, the identification information of the image forming device 10 that printed out the color charts CCA and CCB, the identification information of the type of paper on which the color charts were printed, the date and time of printing, and the identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patches CP. As in the first embodiment, color patches are arranged at both ends of the color codes CA and CB to indicate the end of the color codes CA and CB and to specify the orientation of the color codes CA and CB.

[0110] The color adjustment patches CPA and CPB are a group of color patches used in the information processing device 20 to execute color adjustment processing for the image forming device 10 identified by the color codes CA and CB, respectively. As shown in FIG. 13, the color adjustment patch CPA has judgment patches JPA1 to JPA9 embedded in nine locations as judgment patches for evaluating in-plane unevenness of the paper on which the color chart CCA is printed. As shown in FIG. 14, the color adjustment patch CPB has judgment patches JPB1 to JPB9 embedded in nine locations as judgment patches for evaluating in-plane unevenness of the paper on which the color chart CCB is printed. The configurations of the judgment patches JPA1 to JPA9 and the judgment patches JPB1 to JPB9 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

[0111] The calculation unit 206 of the information processing device 20 calculates the average value and the like of the colorimetric values ​​of the patches P1 to P4 in the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 and the determination patches JPB1 to JPB9 acquired by the patch acquisition unit 205. Specifically, the calculation unit 206 first calculates, for the color chart CCA, average colorimetric values ​​(L*A1_ave, a*A1_ave, b*A1_ave) of each patch P1 in the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9, which are (L*A1_1, a*A1_1, b*A1_1), (L*A1_2, a*A1_2, b*A1_2), . . . , (L*A1_9, a*A1_9, b*A1_9), using the following formula (3).

[0112]

number

[0113] In addition, for the color chart CCB, if the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each patch P1 of the judgment patches JPB1 to JPB9 are (L*B1_1, a*B1_1, b*B1_1), (L*B1_2, a*B1_2, b*B1_2), ···, (L*B1_9, a*B1_9, b*B1_9), the calculation unit 206 calculates the average colorimetric value (L*B1_ave, a*B1_ave, b*B1_ave) using the following equation (4).

[0114]

number

[0115] Next, the calculation unit 206 calculates color differences between the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) (L*A1_1, a*A1_1, b*A1_1) to (L*A1_9, a*A1_9, b*A1_9) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 and the calculated average colorimetric value (L*A1_ave, a*A1_ave, b*A1_ave) as ΔEA1_1 to ΔEA1_9, respectively, for the color chart CCA. Then, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum value ΔEA1_Max of the calculated color differences ΔEA1_1 to ΔEA1_9. Similarly, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum values ​​ΔEA2_Max to ΔEA4_Max using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each patch P2 to P4 of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9, respectively.

[0116] Furthermore, the calculation unit 206 calculates color differences between the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) (L*B1_1, a*B1_1, b*B1_1) to (L*B1_9, a*B1_9, b*B1_9) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JPB1 to JPB9 and the calculated average colorimetric value (L*B1_ave, a*B1_ave, b*B1_ave) as ΔEB1_1 to ΔEB1_9, respectively. Then, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum value ΔEB1_Max of the calculated color differences ΔEB1_1 to ΔEB1_9. Similarly, the calculation unit 206 calculates the maximum values ​​ΔEB2_Max to ΔEB4_Max using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each patch P2 to P4 of the determination patches JPB1 to JPB9, respectively.

[0117] Furthermore, the calculation unit 206 calculates the difference ΔE1_AB between the average colorimetric value (L*A1_ave, a*A1_ave, b*A1_ave) for the color chart CCA and the average colorimetric value (L*B1_ave, a*B1_ave, b*B1_ave) for the color chart CCB. Similarly, the calculation unit 206 calculates the differences ΔE2_AB to ΔE4_AB using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 and the determination patches JPB1 to JPB9, respectively.

[0118] The determination unit 207 of the information processing device 20 determines whether or not the maximum values ​​ΔEA1_Max to ΔEA4_Max calculated by the calculation unit 206 are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Thresh using the above-mentioned formula (2). Also, the determination unit 207 determines whether or not the maximum values ​​ΔEB1_Max to ΔEB4_Max calculated by the calculation unit 206 are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Thresh using the above-mentioned formula (2).

[0119] Furthermore, the determination unit 207 determines whether or not each of the differences ΔE1_AB to ΔE4_AB calculated by the calculation unit 206 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Thresh2 using the following formula (5).

[0120]

number

[0121] If at least one of the above formulas (2) is satisfied for the maximum values ​​ΔEA1_Max to ΔEA4_Max and the maximum values ​​ΔEB1_Max to ΔEB4_Max, or if at least one of the above formulas (5) is satisfied for the differences ΔE1_AB to ΔE4_AB, the determination unit 207 determines that there is unevenness in the color adjustment patches CPA, CPB included in the color charts CCA, CCB, and determines that there is an abnormality in the state of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204. Note that in formula (5), the threshold value Thresh2 for the differences ΔE1_AB to ΔE4_AB is not limited to being the same value, and at least one of them may be a different value.

[0122] The operations of the other functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 are similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0123] (Flow of unevenness judgment process) Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of unevenness determination processing in the information processing device according to the second embodiment. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an inter-page evaluation abnormality screen. With reference to Figs. 15 and 16, the unevenness determination processing in the information processing device 20 of the color adjustment processing of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Note that in this embodiment, the unevenness determination processing shown in Fig. 15 is executed in step S16 in the color adjustment processing shown in Fig. 8.

[0124] <Step S161a> The patch acquisition unit 205 of the information processing device 20 identifies portions corresponding to the nine determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 embedded in the color adjustment patch CPA from the color information data of the color chart CCA acquired by the color value acquisition unit 203, and acquires the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the patch P1 in each of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9. Then, the process proceeds to step S162a.

[0125] <Step S162a> The calculation unit 206 of the information processing device 20 calculates, by the above-mentioned formula (3), the average colorimetric value (L*A1_ave, a*A1_ave, b*A1_ave), which is the average value of the colorimetric values ​​of the patch P1 in each of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 acquired by the patch acquisition unit 205. Then, the process proceeds to step S163a.

[0126] <Step S163a> Next, the calculation unit 206 calculates the color differences between the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) (L*A1_1, a*A1_1, b*A1_1) to (L*A1_9, a*A1_9, b*A1_9) of each patch P1 of the determination patches JPA1 to JPA9 for the color chart CCA and the calculated average colorimetric value (L*A1_ave, a*A1_ave, b*A1_ave) as ΔEA1_1 to ΔEA1_9, respectively. Then, the process proceeds to step S164a.

[0127] <Step S164a> The calculation unit 206 then calculates the maximum value ΔEA1_Max of the calculated color differences ΔEA1_1 to ΔEA1_9, and proceeds to step S165a.

[0128] <Step S165a> The determination unit 207 of the information processing device 20 determines whether the maximum value ΔEA1_Max calculated by the calculation unit 206 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value Thresh using the above-mentioned formula (2). If the maximum value ΔEA1_Max is less than the threshold value Thresh (step S165a: Yes), the process returns to step S161a to process patch P1 of color chart CCB, and the processes of steps S161a to S165a are repeated. When the process of patch P1 of color chart CCb is completed, the process proceeds to step S166a. On the other hand, if the maximum value ΔEA1_Max is equal to or greater than the threshold value Thresh (step S165a: No), the process proceeds to step S167a.

[0129] <Step S166a> Furthermore, the determination unit 207 determines whether the difference ΔE1_AB calculated by the calculation unit 206 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Thresh2 using the above-mentioned formula (5). If the difference ΔE1_AB is less than the threshold Thresh2 (step S166a: Yes), if there are any patches P2 to P4 of the color charts CCA and CCB that have not been processed, the process returns to step S161a and repeats the processes of steps S161a to S167a. If all of the patches P2 to P4 have been processed, the unevenness determination process ends and the process proceeds to step S17 in Fig. 8. On the other hand, if the difference ΔE1_AB is equal to or greater than the threshold Thresh2 (step S166a: No), the process proceeds to step S167a.

[0130] <Step S167a> When the determination unit 207 determines that the maximum value ΔEA1_Max is equal to or greater than the threshold Thresh, or when the determination unit 207 determines that the difference ΔE1_AB is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold Thresh2, it determines that there is unevenness in the color adjustment patches CPA and CPB included in the color charts CCA and CCB, and determines that there is an abnormality in the state of the image forming apparatus 10 identified by the identification unit 204. In this case, when the display control unit 211 of the information processing device 20 determines that the maximum value ΔEA1_Max is equal to or greater than the threshold Thresh, it warns the user by displaying an unevenness determination abnormality screen 1000 indicating that there is unevenness in the color adjustment patch CP as shown in FIG. 12 on the display unit 212. In addition, when the display control unit 211 determines that the difference ΔE1_AB is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold Thresh2, it warns the user by displaying an inter-page evaluation abnormality screen 1001 indicating that there is a variation in color value between pages (color charts CCA and CCB) as shown in FIG. 16 on the display unit 212. Then, the unevenness determination process ends, and the process proceeds to step S17. Note that it is also possible to display which judgment patch on which page has particularly large unevenness, using page identification information contained in the color code of each page of the multiple color charts CC and information on the position of the judgment patch.

[0131] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment, one image forming apparatus 10 or each of multiple image forming apparatuses 10 prints out multiple color charts CC, and determines the presence or absence of in-plane unevenness using each color chart CC, and determines the presence or absence of color variation between the multiple color charts CC (between pages). This allows color adjustment to be performed after confirming that the image forming apparatus 10 is in a more appropriate state. In addition, depending on the determination result of the presence or absence of in-plane unevenness, appropriate measures such as a calibration process for optimizing the color of the image forming apparatus 10 or repair or replacement of parts related to image formation can be performed as necessary before color adjustment.

[0132] In each of the above-mentioned 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 each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the program executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being recorded in 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 an installable or executable format. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the program executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the program 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 each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 have a modular configuration including at least any one of the above-mentioned functional units, and in terms of actual hardware, the CPU 501 (CPU 601) reads out and executes the programs from the above-mentioned storage devices (e.g., system memory 502, auxiliary storage device 508, auxiliary storage device 605, etc.), so that each of the above-mentioned functional units is loaded and generated on the main storage device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1. Image forming system 10, 10a to 10d Image forming apparatus 20 Information processing device 30 Image reader 101 Communications Department 102 Job Acquisition Department 103 Printing control unit 104 Profile Acquisition Unit 105 Storage section 201 Communications Department 202 Chart transmission unit 203 Color value acquisition section 204 Identification Unit 205 Patch Acquisition Department 206 Calculation section 207 Judgment section 208 Color adjustment section 209 Profile Transmitter 210 Input section 211 Display control unit 212 Display section 213 Storage section 500 Controller 501 CPU 502 System Memory (MEM-P) 503 Northbridge (NB) 504a South Bridge (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 Interface 610 Bus 611 Keyboard 612 Mouse 613 DVD 614 DVD drive 1000 Unevenness judgment abnormality screen 1001 Inter-page evaluation abnormal screen C, CA, CB color codes CC, CCa~CCd, CCA, CCB color chart CP, CPA, CPB color adjustment patches JP, JP1~JP9, JPA1~JPA9, JPB1~JPB9 Judgment patch N Network P1~P4 Patch [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0134] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-181142 A

Claims

1. A color chart for adjusting colors in an image forming apparatus, Identification information indicating an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied; a color adjustment patch configured with a color patch for performing color adjustment on the image forming device indicated by the identification information; a judgment patch consisting of a color patch for judging the presence or absence of unevenness within the surface of the color chart; Including, The determination patch is A set of color patches in a specific arrangement, A plurality of the color charts are arranged on the surface of the color chart, A color chart in which the presence or absence of unevenness within the surface is determined by a comparison process of the color difference between each average value of the colorimetric values ​​of color patches at corresponding positions in the array configuration and the colorimetric values ​​of color patches at positions used to calculate each average value in the array configuration.

2. A color chart for adjusting colors in an image forming apparatus, Identification information indicating an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied; a color adjustment patch configured with a color patch for performing color adjustment on the image forming device indicated by the identification information; Including, The identification information is included in a color code composed of color patches of multiple colors, The color code is two color patches of different colors for specifying the orientation of the arrangement of the color patches constituting the color code are arranged at both ends of the color patch arrangement direction, the two color patches having different combinations of the two colors at one end and the other end; A color chart in which the two color patches of different colors are used to rotate color information data generated by reading the color chart with an image reading device so that the orientation becomes the specified orientation when the orientation is different from a specified orientation.

3. The color chart according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information is included in a color code composed of color patches of a plurality of colors.

4. The color chart according to claim 3 , wherein the color code further includes information on the type of paper on which the color chart is printed.

5. 5. The color chart according to claim 1, wherein the color adjustment patches and the judgment patches are arranged at positions independent of each other.

6. 5. The color chart according to claim 1, 3 or 4, wherein each of the judgment patches is not adjacent to a paper white portion of the color chart and is not adjacent to a white color patch.

7. The color chart is made up of multiple pages, 5. The color chart according to claim 2, wherein the color code further includes page information indicating a specific page among the plurality of pages.

8. an acquisition unit that acquires color information data generated by reading, by an image reading device, a color chart including identification information indicating the image forming device to which color adjustment is to be applied, and a color adjustment patch configured with color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming device; and an identification unit for identifying the image forming apparatus based on the identification information included in the color information data; a color adjustment unit that creates a profile in which the color measurement values ​​of the color adjustment patches included in the color information data reproduce the color values ​​of each patch in the color adjustment patches, and that creates a profile to be applied to the image forming device identified by the identification unit; Equipped with the color chart further includes a judgment patch configured with a color patch for judging the presence or absence of unevenness in the surface of the color chart, The determination patch is A set of color patches in a specific arrangement, A plurality of the color charts are arranged on the surface of the color chart, a calculation unit that calculates an average value of color measurement values ​​of color patches at corresponding positions in the arrangement configuration for the plurality of determination patches; a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of unevenness within the surface of the color chart by a comparison process of a color difference between each of the average values ​​calculated by the calculation unit and a color measurement value of a color patch at a position in the array configuration used for calculating each of the average values; Further equipped with The color adjustment unit creates the profile to be applied to the image forming apparatus identified by the identification unit when the determination unit determines that there is no unevenness within the surface of the color chart.

9. an acquisition unit that acquires color information data generated by reading, by an image reading device, a color chart including identification information indicating the image forming device to which color adjustment is to be applied, and a color adjustment patch configured with color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming device; and an identification unit for identifying the image forming apparatus based on the identification information included in the color information data; a color adjustment unit that creates a profile in which the color measurement values ​​of the color adjustment patches included in the color information data reproduce the color values ​​of each patch in the color adjustment patches, and that creates a profile to be applied to the image forming device identified by the identification unit; Equipped with The identification information is included in a color code composed of color patches of multiple colors, the identification unit identifies the image forming device from the color code included in the color information data; The color code includes two color patches of different colors for specifying the direction of the arrangement of the color patches constituting the color code, the two color patches having different combinations of the two colors being arranged at both ends of the color patch arrangement direction, The identification unit identifies the orientation of the arrangement of color patches that constitute the color code included in the color information data, and if the orientation differs from a predetermined orientation, rotates the color information data so that the orientation becomes the predetermined orientation.

10. The identification information is included in a color code composed of color patches of multiple colors, The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the identification unit identifies the image forming apparatus from the color code included in the color information data.

11. The color code further includes information on the type of paper on which the color chart is output, the identification unit identifies the image forming device and the paper type from the color code included in the color information data; The information processing device according to claim 10, wherein the color adjustment unit creates a profile in which the color measurement values ​​of the color adjustment patches included in the color information data reproduce the color values ​​of each patch in the color adjustment patches, and the profile is applied to the paper type of the image forming device identified by the identification unit.

12. the calculation unit calculates, for each of the plurality of determination patches, a maximum value of a color difference between a colorimetric value of a color patch at a corresponding position in the array configuration and the average value of the colorimetric values; The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the determining unit determines that there is unevenness within the surface of the color chart when at least one of the maximum values ​​calculated by the calculating unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

13. A plurality of the color charts are output from the image forming apparatus, The identification information further includes page information indicating a specific color chart among the multiple output color charts, the identification unit identifies the image forming device and the page information from the identification information included in the color information data of each of the color charts; The information processing device according to claim 8, 10, 11 or 12, wherein the judgment unit further judges whether or not there is a color variation between the color charts indicated by each of the page information by performing a comparison process with an average value of the color measurement value of the judgment patch of the color information data between the color charts indicated by each of the page information corresponding to the same image forming device.

14. 14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display control unit that, when the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality, causes a display device to display a message indicating that there is an abnormality.

15. an image forming apparatus that outputs a color chart including identification information indicating an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied and a color adjustment patch configured with color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming apparatus; an image reading device that generates color information data by reading the color chart output by the image forming device; an information processing device including: an acquisition unit that acquires the color information data generated by the image reading device; an identification unit that identifies the image forming device from the identification information included in the color information data; and a color adjustment unit that creates a profile to be applied to the image forming device identified by the identification unit, the profile being a profile in which the colorimetric values ​​of the color adjustment patches included in the color information data reproduce the color values ​​of each patch in the color adjustment patches; having the color chart further includes a judgment patch configured with a color patch for judging the presence or absence of unevenness in the surface of the color chart, The determination patch is A set of color patches in a specific arrangement, A plurality of the color charts are arranged on the surface of the color chart, The information processing device includes: a calculation unit that calculates an average value of color measurement values ​​of color patches at corresponding positions in the arrangement configuration for the plurality of determination patches; a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of unevenness within the surface of the color chart by a comparison process of a color difference between each of the average values ​​calculated by the calculation unit and a color measurement value of a color patch at a position in the array configuration used for calculating each of the average values; Further equipped with The color adjustment unit creates the profile to be applied to the image forming apparatus identified by the identification unit when the determination unit determines that there is no unevenness within the surface of the color chart.

Images