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

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can automatically determine whether a change in appropriate profile is necessary for a change in density characteristics of a color other than a single process color.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires a first state parameter indicating the state of a printer engine of an image forming apparatus; and a search unit that compares the first state parameter acquired by the first acquisition unit with second state parameters indicating the state of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus during creation of a plurality of color profiles stored in advance in a storage unit, and searches for a color profile corresponding to a second state parameter closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

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 improve color reproducibility in image forming devices, a technology known as color profile conversion has been developed. This technology calculates the appropriate distribution of process colors for the printing medium based on the color device values ​​of the original data. While this color profile conversion ensures high color reproducibility across a variety of media, color profile conversion alone cannot achieve high color reproducibility because the density characteristics of each process color change in an image forming device due to factors such as changes in the environment (temperature, humidity, etc.), continuous printing, and the passage of time. To address this issue, a technology known as calibration processing is already known. This technology measures the density of each color actually printed on the media and corrects it to the appropriate density, thereby absorbing changes in density characteristics due to the above factors.

[0003] However, while previous calibration processes appropriately corrected the density characteristics of each single process color, if the printer's density characteristics changed significantly, the corrections made by the calibration process would change the printer's mixed color density characteristics, resulting in a decrease in color reproducibility using the color profile. In such cases, it is recommended to use a profile optimized for the current printer engine state, but there was a problem in that it was impossible to determine whether the mixed color density characteristics were appropriate after the calibration process unless the user actually printed and checked the printed material directly.

[0004] This is because the correction made by the calibration process causes the actual amount of colorant printed on the media to change more significantly the greater the difference between the pre-correction density and the target density. This change has no effect on a single color, but when two or more colors are layered, the way the colors are layered changes, changing the density characteristics of the mixed colors. For this reason, a calibration process that measures a single color printed on the media and corrects that single color cannot handle changes in the density characteristics of the mixed colors that occur due to fluctuations in the printer engine's condition.

[0005] As a technology related to such calibration processing, in order to enable calibration processing of special color materials, a technology has been disclosed in which a chart is output in which six patches are printed for each color (36 patches in total) by dividing the color wheel equally into six parts, and the user adjusts the color profile by selecting the patch of the color that is visually closest to the target color sample by hue (for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that unless the user actually prints using the profile and directly checks the printed product, it is not possible to determine whether or not the profile needs to be changed in response to changes in the density characteristics of colors other than single process colors.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program that can automatically determine whether or not an appropriate profile change is required in response to changes in the density characteristics of colors other than single process colors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides: Forming an image by overlapping multiple colors Image forming device Each colora first acquisition unit that acquires first status parameters that indicate the status of a printer engine; a first acquisition unit that acquires the first status parameters and a plurality of color profiles that are registered in advance in a storage unit at the time of creation of the color profiles; Each color a search unit that compares the first and second state parameters indicating the state of a printer engine of the image forming apparatus with each other and searches for a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters. The search unit searches based on a value that minimizes a sum of absolute values ​​of differences between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not an appropriate profile change is required in response to a change in density characteristics of a color other than a single process color. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of functional blocks of a DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional block configuration of a color profile registration unit of a DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of density characteristics. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional block configuration of the color profile determination unit of the DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a color profile registration process of the DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color profile determination processing of the DFE according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] 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.

[0012] (Overall configuration of information processing system) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment, and the overall configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 10, a DFE (Digital Front End) 20, and an administration PC (Personal Computer) 30.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 10 is an apparatus that prints out based on a print image output from the DFE 20. For example, the image forming apparatus 10 may be an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) or a commercial printing machine. Here, an MFP is a multifunction device that has at least two of the following functions: copy function, printer function, scanner function, and fax function. Note that while only one image forming apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. 1, this is not limiting, and the information processing system 1 may include multiple image forming apparatuses 10.

[0015] The DFE 20 is an information processing device that performs image processing involving color profile conversion using a color profile on image data received from the management PC 30 (or other external PC) to generate a print image that can be printed by the image forming apparatus 10. Here, the color profile mainly refers to an output profile (printer profile) that corresponds to each image forming apparatus and each type of media. The DFE 20 is also capable of data communication with the image forming apparatus 10 and the DFE 20 via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0016] The management PC 30 is an information processing device that transmits color profiles for each image forming device 10 and for each media type to be registered in the DFE 20, and transmits image data to the DFE 20 to be printed out by the image forming device 10.

[0017] The information processing system 1 may be configured to include a colorimeter, such as a spectrophotometer, that obtains the spectral reflectance of a printed matter on which a color chart is printed, which is necessary for the calibration process.

[0018] (Hardware configuration of image forming device) 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the embodiment, and the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 .

[0021] 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.

[0022] The FCU 520 is a device that implements a fax function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0023] The plotter 531 is a device that realizes a printing function and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus. The scanner 532 is a device that realizes a scanner function and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The network I / F 504b is an interface for using a network to communicate data with an external device such as the DFE 20. 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.

[0030] The USB I / F 504c is an interface that can communicate with devices that comply with the USB standard.

[0031] The Centronics I / F 504d is an interface that conforms to the specifications of a parallel port and is capable of transmitting multiple bits.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The ASIC 506 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and serves 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 and other operations using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data via the PCI bus between the ASIC 506 and the plotter 531 and scanner 532. The ASIC 506 is connected to, for example, the FCU 520, the plotter 531, and the scanner 532 via the PCI bus. The ASIC 506 is also connected to a host PC (personal computer) and a network (not shown), etc.

[0034] The local memory 507 is a memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and it is not necessary for all of the components to be included, and other components may also be included.

[0038] (DFE hardware configuration) 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a DFE according to an embodiment. The hardware configuration of a DFE 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the DFE 20 includes a CPU 601 , a ROM 602 , a RAM 603 , an auxiliary storage device 604 , an I / F 605 , a display 606 , an operation unit 607 , and a network I / F 608 .

[0040] The CPU 601 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the DFE 20. The ROM 602 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs for the DFE 20. The RAM 603 is a volatile storage device that is used as a work area for the DFE 20.

[0041] The auxiliary storage device 604 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD that stores color profile compatibility information, which will be described later, as well as various data and programs.

[0042] The I / F 605 is an interface unit for performing data communication between the input / output device and the bus line 610 .

[0043] The display 606 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.

[0044] The operation unit 607 is an input device for selecting letters, numbers, and various instructions, and for moving a cursor.

[0045] The network I / F 608 is an interface for communicating data with external devices such as the image forming apparatus 10 and the management PC 30 via a network. The network I / F 608 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) that supports Ethernet and is capable of communication in accordance with TCP / IP or the like.

[0046] The CPU 601, ROM 602, RAM 603, auxiliary storage device 604, I / F 605, and network I / F 608 are communicably connected to one another by a bus line 610 such as an address bus and a data bus.

[0047] 3 is an example, and does not necessarily include all of the components shown in Fig. 3, or may include other components. The hardware configuration of the management PC 30 also conforms to the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 3.

[0048] (Configuration and operation of DFE functional blocks) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of a DFE according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of a color profile registration unit of a DFE according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of density characteristics. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of a color profile determination unit of a DFE according to an embodiment. The configuration and operation of the functional blocks of a DFE 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the DFE 20 includes a color profile registration unit 21, a color profile determination unit 22, a print image generation unit 23, a display control unit 24, and a storage unit 25.

[0050] The color profile registration unit 21 is a functional unit that receives color profiles corresponding to each image forming device 10 and each media type from the management PC 30, associates the color profiles with engine status parameters indicating the status of the printer engine received from the image forming device 10, and registers (stores) the associated color profiles in the storage unit 25. The color profile registration unit 21 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program. As shown in FIG. 5, the color profile registration unit 21 has a profile acquisition unit 211 (second acquisition unit), an engine status acquisition unit 212 (third acquisition unit), and a registration processing unit 213 (registration unit).

[0051] The profile acquisition unit 211 is a functional unit that acquires a color profile from the administration PC 30 via the network I / F 608. For example, the profile acquisition unit 211 acquires a color profile that has been newly created by a calibration process. When acquiring the color profile, the profile acquisition unit 211 also acquires information on the media type to which the color profile corresponds in order to associate the color profile with the media type. The profile acquisition unit 211 then sends the acquired color profile and media type information to the registration processing unit 213.

[0052] Engine state acquisition unit 212 is a functional unit that acquires, via network I / F 608, engine state parameters (second state parameters) that indicate the state of the printer engine of image forming apparatus 10 at the time when profile acquisition unit 211 acquires the color profile. That is, engine state acquisition unit 212 acquires the engine state parameters from image forming apparatus 10 via network I / F 608 at the time when profile acquisition unit 211 acquires the color profile. Then, engine state acquisition unit 212 sends the acquired engine state parameters to registration processing unit 213. That is, the engine state parameters acquired by engine state acquisition unit 212 indicate the state of the printer engine as a result of applying the color profile acquired by profile acquisition unit 211.

[0053] Here, the engine state parameters are various parameters assumed depending on the image forming device 10, but they indicate the printing characteristics of each color that the printer engine itself grasps using internal sensors, etc. For example, for the "density relative to input" read by an internal sensor as a parameter indicating the printer engine state, the relationship between input and density can be approximated to a gamma value that represents a one-dimensional number based on the following formula (1), and this makes it possible to represent the state (characteristics) of a monochrome printer engine with a single number.

[0054] Y=X A ···(1)

[0055] In this equation (1), Y is the output density normalized to 0 to 1, X is an input value such as a color device value normalized to 0 to 1, and A is a gamma value as an engine state parameter. In this embodiment, this gamma value A (an example of a value based on density) is treated as the engine state parameter. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the input value X and the output density Y when the gamma value A is 1.5. When the relationship between the input value X and the output density Y is expressed by a curve on this graph, the engine state parameter is 1.5. That is, the image forming apparatus 10 may periodically, for example, perform colorimetry on a printed material using an internal sensor (an example of a reading device), calculate a gamma value from the relationship between the density (colorimetric value) obtained by the colorimetry and the input such as the color device value, and store the gamma value in the auxiliary storage device 508 in association with the media type of the printed material and the profile used.

[0056] 5, the registration processing unit 213 is a functional unit that associates the information on the color profile and media type acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211 with the engine state parameters acquired by the engine state acquisition unit 212, and registers (stores) this information as color profile correspondence information (correspondence information) in the storage unit 25. Table 1 below shows the color profile correspondence information in which the profile and the engine state parameters for each color are associated, and this information is registered in the storage unit 25 in association with each image forming device 10 and each media type.

[0057] [Table 1]

[0058] The color profile determination unit 22 is a functional unit that determines the color profile optimal for the current image forming device 10 from the color profiles stored in the storage unit 25 based on engine status parameters indicating the current state of the printer engine received from the image forming device 10. If an optimal color profile exists, the color profile determination unit 22 sends the color profile to the print image generation unit 23 to be used in color profile conversion when the print image generation unit 23 generates a print image. On the other hand, if an optimal color profile does not exist, the color profile determination unit 22 creates a new color profile based on the current state of the printer engine and prompts the user to register the new color profile. The color profile determination unit 22 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program. As shown in FIG. 7, the color profile determination unit 22 includes an engine status acquisition unit 221 (first acquisition unit) and a profile search unit 222 (search unit).

[0059] The engine state acquisition unit 221 is a functional unit that acquires engine state parameters (first state parameters) indicating the current (i.e., the time of acquisition) state of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus 10 via the network I / F 608. Then, the engine state acquisition unit 221 sends the acquired engine state parameters to the profile search unit 222.

[0060] The profile search unit 222 is a functional unit that compares the current engine state parameters acquired by the engine state acquisition unit 221 with the engine state parameters stored in the storage unit 25 and corresponding to the engine state parameters in the color profile correspondence information for the image forming device 10 and media type, and searches for an optimal color profile having a value closest to the current engine state parameters. Specifically, the profile search unit 222 first calculates a search value by adding up the absolute values ​​of the differences for each color between the current engine state parameters and the engine state parameters in the color profile correspondence information for the image forming device 10 and media type corresponding to the engine state parameters. Note that the search value is an example of the difference between the current engine state parameters and the engine state parameters in the color profile correspondence information for the image forming device 10 and media type corresponding to the engine state parameters. Alternatively, the difference between the two parameters may be, for example, the sum of the differences for each color or the average of the absolute values ​​of the differences for each color. The profile search unit 222 calculates search values ​​for all color profiles included in the color profile correspondence information. Table 2 below shows the calculation results of search values ​​corresponding to each color profile in the color profile correspondence information shown in Table 1 when the current engine state parameters are C=1.2, M=1.1, Y=1.0, and K=1.5.

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] In the case of Table 2 above, because "Profile 2" has the smallest search value, the profile search unit 222 determines that "Profile 2" is the color profile registered at a time when the printer engine state of the image forming apparatus 10 was closest to its current state. However, if there are few registered color profiles, or if the current printer engine state is significantly different from its previous state, even if the color profile with the smallest search value is used, the color tone may still fluctuate significantly, and the print quality may not be satisfactory. For this reason, a threshold value is set as a criterion for determining whether to adopt a searched color profile, and the search value of the color profile determined to have the smallest search value is compared with the threshold value to determine the appropriateness of the color profile.

[0063] If the search value is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that the state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 when the color profile was registered is very similar to the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10. Therefore, even if the color profile selected as having the smallest search value is applied to the current image forming device 10, the profile search unit 222 sends the selected color profile to the print image generation unit 23, and sets the selected color profile as the color profile to be used for color profile conversion when generating the print image, so that it can be used for actual printing.

[0064] On the other hand, if the search value is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that all color profiles corresponding to the image forming device 10 and media type registered in the storage unit 25 are not suitable for application to the current image forming device 10. Therefore, the profile search unit 222 performs processing to create a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 and prompt the user to register that color profile. Specifically, the profile search unit 222 creates a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 and sends information to the display control unit 24 urging the user to register that color profile.

[0065] Print image generation unit 23 is a functional unit that performs image processing involving color profile conversion using the color profile searched for by profile search unit 222 on image data received from management PC 30 (or other external PC), and generates a print image that can be printed by image forming apparatus 10. Print image generation unit 23 transmits the generated print image to image forming apparatus 10 via network I / F 608. Print image generation unit 23 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3.

[0066] The display control unit 24 is a functional unit that controls the display operation of the display 606. For example, when the display control unit 24 receives information from the profile search unit 222 urging the user to create a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus 10 and register the color profile, the display control unit 24 displays the information on the display 606. The display control unit 24 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3. Note that the display control unit 24 is not limited to displaying the information on the display 606 of the DFE 20, and may instead transmit the information to the management PC 30 and display it on the management PC 30.

[0067] The storage unit 25 is a functional unit that stores color profile correspondence information registered by the registration processing unit 213, as well as various data and programs, etc. The storage unit 25 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 604 or the RAM 603 shown in FIG.

[0068] At least a portion of the functional units of DFE20 shown in FIG. 4 that are implemented by executing software (programs) may be implemented by hardware circuits such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs.

[0069] Furthermore, the functions of each functional unit of the DFE 20 shown in Fig. 4 are conceptually illustrated, and the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the DFE 20 shown in Fig. 4 may be configured as a single functional unit. On the other hand, the function of a single functional unit in the DFE 20 shown in Fig. 4 may be divided into multiple units and configured as multiple functional units. The same applies to the functional units of the color profile registration unit 21 shown in Fig. 5 and the functional units of the color profile determination unit 22 shown in Fig. 7.

[0070] (Color profile registration process flow) 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color profile registration processing of the DFE according to the embodiment. The flow of color profile registration processing of the DFE 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0071] <Step S11> The profile acquisition unit 211 of the color profile registration unit 21 acquires a color profile from the administration PC 30 via the network I / F 608. When acquiring the color profile, the profile acquisition unit 211 also acquires information on the media type to which the color profile corresponds in order to associate the color profile with the media type. The profile acquisition unit 211 then sends the acquired color profile and media type information to the registration processing unit 213. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0072] <Step S12> The engine state acquisition unit 212 of the color profile registration unit 21 is a functional unit that acquires, via the network I / F 608, engine state parameters that indicate the state of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus 10 at the time the color profile was acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211. That is, the engine state acquisition unit 212 acquires the engine state parameters from the image forming apparatus 10 via the network I / F 608 at the timing when the color profile was acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211. Then, the engine state acquisition unit 212 sends the acquired engine state parameters to the registration processing unit 213. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0073] <Step S13> The registration processing unit 213 of the color profile registration unit 21 associates the color profile and media type information acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211 with the engine state parameters acquired by the engine state acquisition unit 212, and registers (stores) this as color profile correspondence information in the memory unit 25, and then terminates the color profile registration process.

[0074] The color profile registration process of the DFE 20 is executed through the flow of steps S11 to S13 described above.

[0075] (Color profile determination process flow) 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color profile determination processing of the DFE according to the embodiment. The flow of color profile determination processing of the DFE 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] <Step S21> The engine state acquisition unit 221 of the color profile determination unit 22 acquires engine state parameters indicating the current (i.e., the time of acquisition) state of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus 10 via the network I / F 608. Then, the engine state acquisition unit 221 sends the acquired engine state parameters to the profile search unit 222. Then, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0077] <Step S22> Profile search unit 222 of color profile determination unit 22 acquires, from storage unit 25, color profile correspondence information corresponding to image forming apparatus 10 and media type that correspond to the current engine state parameters acquired by engine state acquisition unit 221. Then, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0078] <Step S23> The profile search unit 222 calculates a search value by adding up the absolute values ​​of the differences for each color between the current engine state parameters and the engine state parameters in the color profile correspondence information for the image forming apparatus 10 and media type that correspond to the current engine state parameters. The profile search unit 222 calculates search values ​​for all color profiles included in the color profile correspondence information. Then, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0079] <Step S24> The profile search unit 222 selects the color profile with the smallest search value from among the calculated search values, and then proceeds to step S25.

[0080] <Step S25> The profile search unit 222 determines whether the search value of the selected color profile is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the search value is equal to or less than the threshold (step S25: Yes), the process proceeds to step S26. If the search value is greater than the threshold (step S25: No), the process proceeds to step S27.

[0081] <Step S26> The profile search unit 222 applies the selected color profile to the current image forming device 10, and sends the color profile to the print image generation unit 23, setting it as the color profile to be used for color profile conversion when generating a print image so that it can be used for actual printing. Then, the color profile determination process ends.

[0082] <Step S27> The profile search unit 222 creates a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 and performs processing to prompt the user to register the color profile in the DFE 20. Specifically, the profile search unit 222 creates a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 and sends information to the display control unit 24 urging the user to register the color profile. When the display control unit 24 receives information from the profile search unit 222 urging the user to create a new color profile using the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device 10 and register the color profile, the display control unit 24 displays the information on the display 606. Then, the color profile determination processing ends.

[0083] The color profile determination process of the DFE 20 is executed through the flow of steps S21 to S27 described above.

[0084] As described above, in DFE 20 according to this embodiment, engine state acquisition unit 221 acquires engine state parameters (first state parameters) indicating the current state of the printer engine of image forming apparatus 10, and profile search unit 222 compares the engine state parameters acquired by engine state acquisition unit 221 with engine state parameters (second state parameters) indicating the state of the printer engine of image forming apparatus 10 at the time each of a plurality of color profiles was created, which are registered in advance in storage unit 25, and searches for a color profile from among the engine state parameters corresponding to an engine state parameter that is closest to the engine state parameter indicating the current printer state. This makes it possible to automatically determine whether or not an appropriate profile change is necessary in response to changes in the density characteristics of colors other than single process colors.

[0085] Furthermore, in the DFE 20, when a new color profile is created, the profile acquisition unit 211 acquires the color profile and information on the media type corresponding to the color profile, the engine status acquisition unit 212 acquires engine status parameters (second status parameters) indicating the status of the printer engine of the image forming apparatus 10 at the time the color profile was acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211, the registration processing unit 213 registers color profile correspondence information in the storage unit 25 that associates the color profile and media type information acquired by the profile acquisition unit 211 with the engine status parameters acquired by the engine status acquisition unit 212, and the profile search unit 222 compares the engine status parameters acquired by the engine status acquisition unit 221 with each of the engine status parameters indicated in the color profile correspondence information corresponding to the media type corresponding to the engine status parameters. This makes it possible to manage color profile correspondence information for each media type and automatically determine whether an appropriate profile change is necessary in response to changes in density characteristics for each media type.

[0086] (Variation) 10 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to a modified example, and an information processing system 1a according to the modified example will be described with reference to FIG.

[0087] In the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment described above, the DFE 20 has a color profile registration function and a determination function (search function). In this modification, as shown in FIG. 10 , the information processing system 1a has an image forming apparatus 10a (an example of an information processing apparatus) and an administration PC 30. In addition to its original image forming function, the image forming apparatus 10a has the functions of the DFE 20 according to the embodiment described above (functions of a color profile registration unit 21, a color profile determination unit 22, a print image generation unit 23, a display control unit 24, and a storage unit 25). The image forming apparatus 10a then performs the image processing and other processes that the DFE 20 described above had performed on image data received from the administration PC 30 (or another external PC).

[0088] The above configuration also provides the same effects as those provided by the DFE 20 according to the above-described embodiment.

[0089] The functions of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and devices such as an ASIC, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA, or a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

[0090] Furthermore, the programs executed by the DFE 20 and the image forming apparatus 10a in the above-described embodiment and modified examples may be configured to be provided in a state that they are pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0091] In addition, the programs executed by the DFE 20 and image forming device 10a in the above-described embodiments and variations may be configured to be provided as a computer program product 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 Disk).

[0092] The programs executed by the DFE 20 and image forming apparatus 10a in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.The programs executed by the DFE 20 and image forming apparatus 10a in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0093] Furthermore, the programs executed by the DFE 20 and image forming device 10a in the above-described embodiments and variations have a modular structure including each of the functional units described above, and in actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads the program from the ROM and executes it, thereby loading each of the functional units described above onto the main memory device, and each functional unit is generated on the main memory device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1, 1a Information Processing System 10, 10a Image forming device 20 DFE 21 Color profile registration section 22 Color profile determination unit 23 Print image generation unit 24 Display control unit 25 Memory section 30 Management PC 211 Profile Acquisition Unit 212 Engine status acquisition unit 213 Registration Processing Unit 221 Engine status acquisition unit 222 Profile Search Unit 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 604 Auxiliary storage 605 I / F 606 Display 607 Operation section 608 Network I / F 610 Bus Line [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0095] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-197410

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires first status parameters that indicate the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming device that forms an image by overlapping multiple colors; a search unit that compares the first state parameters acquired by the first acquisition unit with second state parameters that are registered in advance in a storage unit and indicate the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searches for a color profile that corresponds to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; Equipped with The information processing device wherein the search unit searches based on a value that minimizes a sum of absolute values ​​of differences between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors.

2. A first acquisition unit that acquires first status parameters that indicate the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming device that forms an image by overlapping multiple colors; a search unit that compares the first state parameters acquired by the first acquisition unit with second state parameters that are registered in advance in a storage unit and indicate the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searches for a color profile that corresponds to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; Equipped with The information processing device wherein the search unit searches based on a value that minimizes an average value of absolute values ​​of differences between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors.

3. a second acquisition unit that acquires, when a new color profile is created, information on the color profile and the media type corresponding to the color profile; a third acquisition unit that acquires the second status parameter that indicates a status of a printer engine of the image forming apparatus at the time when the color profile is acquired by the second acquisition unit; a registration unit that registers, in the storage unit, correspondence information that associates the information on the color profile and the media type acquired by the second acquisition unit with the second status parameters acquired by the third acquisition unit; The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the search unit compares the first status parameter with each of the second status parameters indicated by the correspondence information corresponding to the media type corresponding to the first status parameter.

5. The search unit An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when the calculated minimum value is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter corresponding to the minimum value is applied for use in color profile conversion when generating a print image.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein, if the minimum value is greater than the threshold value, the search unit executes a process of creating a new color profile in the current state of the printer engine of the image forming device and prompting the registration of the color profile.

7. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first state parameter and the second state parameter are values ​​based on densities read from a printed material by a reading device within the image forming apparatus.

8. 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is the image forming apparatus.

9. the image forming apparatus; An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; An information processing system including:

10. An acquisition step of acquiring first status parameters indicating the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming device that forms an image by overlapping multiple colors; a searching step of comparing the acquired first state parameters with second state parameters registered in advance in a storage unit, the second state parameters indicating the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searching for a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; and In the search step, a search is performed based on a value that minimizes the sum of absolute values ​​of the differences between the first state parameters of each color and the second state parameters of the corresponding colors for the plurality of colors.

11. An acquisition step of acquiring first status parameters indicating the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming device that forms an image by overlapping multiple colors; a searching step of comparing the acquired first state parameters with second state parameters registered in advance in a storage unit, the second state parameters indicating the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searching for a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; and In the searching step, a search is performed based on a value that minimizes an average absolute value of the difference between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors.

12. On the computer, an acquisition step of acquiring first status parameters indicating the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming apparatus that forms an image by overlapping a plurality of colors; a searching step of comparing the acquired first state parameters with second state parameters registered in advance in a storage unit, the second state parameters indicating the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searching for a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; Execute A program for searching, in the search step, based on a value that minimizes the sum of absolute values ​​of differences between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors.

13. A computer comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring first status parameters indicating the status of a printer engine for each color of an image forming apparatus that forms an image by overlapping a plurality of colors; a searching step of comparing the acquired first state parameters with second state parameters registered in advance in a storage unit, the second state parameters indicating the state of the printer engine of the image forming device for each color at the time of creation of each of a plurality of color profiles, and searching for a color profile corresponding to the second state parameter that is closest to the first state parameter from among the second state parameters; Execute A program for searching, in the search step, based on a value that minimizes the average absolute value of the difference between the first state parameter of each color and the second state parameter of the corresponding color for the plurality of colors.

Images