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

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an image forming system, an information processing method, and a program that can achieve stable color reproducibility to have a color close to a color of a print sample.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises a display control unit that performs display control for a first display area for displaying a first image of document data, a second display area for displaying a second image based on first read data read by an image reading device for a print sample, a third display area for displaying a third image based on second read data read by the image reading device for a printed material printed out by an image forming apparatus on the basis of the document data, and a fourth display area for displaying a fourth image after performing color matching to match a color of the third image with a color of the second image on the basis of the document data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Traditionally, when trying to match the color reproducibility of a printing machine to a specific printing machine (either the past performance of that printer or an ideal printer), or to match the colors of a printed sample, such as a book, that already exists, the task required highly specialized and tedious work, making it difficult to reproduce. For example, to reproduce the colors of a printed material specified by a customer, a skilled color management technician would check each step one by one and adjust the colors to achieve the same quality. However, printing companies that do not have sufficient skilled personnel are unable to accept such requests. Furthermore, achieving such color reproducibility requires adjusting the color profile.

[0003] As a technology for performing such color adjustment, an image processing device has been disclosed that includes a feature conversion unit that performs color conversion on input data, a past history storage unit that stores past history information related to measurements of the color chart including converted values ​​of the measurement values ​​of the color chart, a calculation unit that compares the history information stored in the past history storage unit with information related to the measurement of a new input color chart and determines the number of color patches based on the comparison results, and a profile update unit that updates the printer profile based on data read from the determined color chart and stores the updated profile in the past history storage unit (for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, a profile is updated by printing a specific color chart and measuring the color of that color chart, and as described above, it cannot be applied to adjustment processes for matching the colors of printed materials printed by a specific printing press or the colors of existing printed materials such as books. Furthermore, with conventional technologies, achieving the above-mentioned color reproducibility largely depends on the proficiency of a specific person in color management skills, and without such a specific person, it is difficult to achieve color reproduction in the first place. Even if such a specific person is available, there is a problem in that the color reproduction results vary depending on the level of that person's skill.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an image forming system, an information processing method, and a program that can achieve stable color reproducibility that approaches the color of a printed sample. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a display control unit that controls display of a first display area that displays a first image of manuscript data, a second display area that displays a second image based on first read data read by an image reading device from a print sample, a third display area that displays a third image based on second read data read by the image reading device from a printed matter printed out by an image forming device based on the manuscript data, and a fourth display area that displays a fourth image after color matching is performed so that the color of the third image matches the color of the second image based on the manuscript data. The display control unit displays a third operation element for switching display of images in the third display area and the fourth display area, and when an operation is performed on the third operation element, switches the third image displayed in the third display area to a first color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the third image, and switches the fourth image displayed in the fourth display area to a second color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the fourth image. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, stable color reproduction can be achieved so as to approximate the color of the print sample. [Brief explanation 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 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 the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional block configuration of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the color sample matching screen in the initial state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which color matching has been performed on the color sample matching screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an area selection screen for selecting an area. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a color sample matching screen on which a color difference map is displayed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the overall operation of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of normal screen transitions in the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of normal screen transitions in the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display operation of a screen for deleting a print sample image and a reproduced image in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display operation on a screen for switching between displaying and hiding a color difference map in the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color matching processing in the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of color matching processing in the image forming system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0010] (Overall configuration of image forming system) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the overall configuration of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] The image forming system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an information processing system that uses a print sample to efficiently perform color matching of an image forming device. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 10, an information processing device 20, and an image reading device 30. The devices included in the image forming system 1 are capable of data communication with each other via a network (network N shown in Fig. 4, which will be described later).

[0012] The image forming apparatus 10 is an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) that is the target of color matching processing. 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. The image forming apparatus 10 executes printing processing using an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile (hereinafter simply referred to as a profile) generated as a result of color matching processing by the information processing apparatus 20.

[0013] Note that 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, or a commercial printing apparatus controlled by a DFE (Digital Front End), etc. 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 (Personal Computer) or workstation that stores manuscript data to be printed out by each image forming device 10 and transmits the manuscript data to each image forming device 10 when performing color matching processing for that image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 also displays a screen for displaying an image of the manuscript data, an image of the print sample, an image of the reproduced image, and an image after color matching, in order to perform color matching, using a printout (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a reproduced image printout) (e.g., the reproduced image printout RIP shown in FIG. 1 ) printed out from each image forming device 10 based on the manuscript data, and a print sample (e.g., the print sample PS shown in FIG. 1 ) that is a sample for color matching, which is read by an image reading device 30. The information processing device 20 creates a profile based on the color matching and transmits it to the corresponding image forming device 10. The image forming device 10 then performs printout using the received profile.

[0015] In addition, the program that controls the display operation of the screen that displays each image displayed on the information processing device 20 to perform the above-mentioned color matching may be a native application executed on the information processing device 20, or may be a web application whose functions are provided from a web server or the cloud.

[0016] The image reading device 30 is a device that performs a reading process on the reproduced image printed by each image forming device 10 and generates read data consisting of colorimetric values ​​such as L*a*b* values, XYZ values, or RGB values. The image reading device 30 transmits the read data to the information processing device 20. The image reading device 30 may be, for example, an image scanner, a colorimeter, or the like, but is not limited to these, and refers to any device capable of acquiring read data of the print sample and the reproduced image print. The colorimetric values ​​obtained from the reading process by the image reading device 30 are described as L*a*b* values ​​in the L*a*b color system (hereinafter simply referred to as Lab values). The read data read by the image reading device 30 is not limited to colorimetric values ​​such as Lab values. The image reading device 30 may transmit the read data to the information processing device 20 as RAW data, which is then converted from the RAW data to colorimetric values ​​by the information processing device 20.

[0017] (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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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 .

[0020] 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.

[0021] The FCU 520 is a device that implements a fax function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] The network I / F 504b is an interface for communicating data with an external device such as the information processing device 20 using the network N. The network I / F 504b is compatible with, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) and is capable of communication in accordance with TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) or the like.

[0029] The USB I / F 504c is an interface that can communicate with devices that comply with the USB standard.

[0030] The Centronics I / F 504d is an interface that conforms to the specifications of a parallel port and is capable of transmitting multiple bits.

[0031] The AGP bus 505 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to accelerate 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The local memory 507 is a memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] (Hardware configuration of information processing device) 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment, with reference to which the hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0038] 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, a network I / F 609, a keyboard 611, a mouse 612, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive 614.

[0039] The CPU 601 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the information processing device 20. The ROM 602 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs for the information processing device 20. The RAM 603 is a volatile storage device that is used as a work area for the CPU 601.

[0040] 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.

[0041] The display 608 is a display device configured with a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc., that displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0042] 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 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 compliant with TCP / IP or the like.

[0043] 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.

[0044] The DVD drive 614 is a device that controls reading and writing of data from and to a DVD 613 such as a DVD-ROM or a DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disk Recordable) as an example of a removable storage medium.

[0045] 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.

[0046] The hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and it is not necessary to include all of the components shown in FIG. 3, or other components may be included.

[0047] (Configuration and operation of functional blocks in image forming systems) 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of the image forming system according to the embodiment. The configuration and operation of the functional blocks of the image forming system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] The job acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires a print job for manuscript data from the information processing device 20. The job acquisition unit 102 also acquires a normal print job from an external device via the network N. The job acquisition unit 102 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

[0051] The print control unit 103 is a functional unit that applies a preselected profile based on the print job of the manuscript data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102, and causes the plotter 531 to print out a reproduced image printout. The print control unit 103 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program.

[0052] The profile acquisition unit 104 is a functional unit that acquires a profile generated by color matching in the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101. The profile acquisition unit 104 stores (registers) 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs.

[0055] Furthermore, the functions of the functional units 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 a single functional unit. On the other hand, the function of a single functional unit in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 4 may be divided into multiple units and configured as multiple functional units.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 20 has a communication unit 201 (read command unit), a job acquisition unit 202, a setting unit 203, a color value acquisition unit 204, an area selection unit 205, a positioning unit 206, a color matching unit 207, a color difference calculation unit 208, a profile transmission unit 209, an input unit 211, a display control unit 212, a display unit 213, and a memory unit 214.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The job acquisition unit 202 is a functional unit that transmits a print job of manuscript data for printing out a reproduced image printout in the image forming apparatus 10 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201. The job acquisition unit 202 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0059] The setting unit 203 is a functional unit that sets the document size, selects a profile, selects an intent, and so on on a color sample matching screen 1000 (described later) in accordance with a user's operation input to the input unit 211. The setting unit 203 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0060] The color value acquisition unit 204 is a functional unit that acquires, from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201, read data consisting of colorimetric values ​​obtained by a reading process by the image reading device 30 for a reproduced image printout printed by the image forming device 10, or a printout printed by a specific printing machine (a past state of the printer, or another ideal printer), or a print sample such as a book that already exists as a printout. The color value acquisition unit 204 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0061] Area selection unit 205 is a functional unit that selects an area in each image of the print sample in order to align the image with the reproduced image in accordance with a user's operation input via input unit 211. Here, the print sample image is an image displayed based on read data of the print sample (first read data), and the reproduced image is an image displayed based on read data of the reproduced image printout (second read data). Area selection unit 205 is realized, for example, by CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0062] The position alignment unit 206 is a functional unit that aligns the positions of both images so that the reproduced image can be color-matched to match the color of the print sample image. The position alignment unit 206 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0063] The color matching unit 207 is a functional unit that performs color matching on the reproduced image based on the original data so as to match the color of the image of the print sample. Specifically, the color matching unit 207 generates a profile to be applied to the original data by adjusting the color of the reproduced image so that it matches the color of the image of the print sample. The color matching unit 207 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0064] The color difference calculation unit 208 is a functional unit that calculates the color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image after color matching, and generates a color difference map (second color difference image). For example, the color difference calculation unit 208 calculates the color difference for each pixel value of a pixel in the print image relative to the pixel value of a corresponding pixel in the reproduced image. The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates the color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image (i.e., the reproduced image before color matching) and generates a color difference map (first color difference image). The color difference map is, for example, a map that displays monochrome gradations that change according to the color difference value. The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates a color difference average, which is the average value of the color differences. The color difference calculation unit 208 is realized, for example, by a program executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3.

[0065] The profile transmission unit 209 is a functional unit that transmits the profile generated by the color matching unit 207 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201. The profile transmission unit 209 then receives a notification from the image forming apparatus 10 that the profile has been registered via the communication unit 201. The profile transmission unit 209 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0066] The input unit 211 is a functional unit that accepts user operation inputs and is realized by a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG.

[0067] The display control unit 212 is a functional unit that controls the display of various screens (such as a color sample matching screen 1000 described later) and information on the display unit 213. The display control unit 212 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0068] The display unit 213 is a functional unit that performs the operation of displaying various screens and information under the control of the display control unit 212. The display unit 213 is realized by the display 608 shown in FIG.

[0069] The storage unit 214 is a functional unit that stores the document data and the profile generated by the color matching unit 207. The storage unit 214 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 605 shown in FIG.

[0070] 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 hardware circuits such as FPGAs or ASICs.

[0071] Furthermore, the functional units of the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 4 are conceptually shown, and are 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 a single functional unit. On the other hand, the function of a single functional unit in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 4 may be divided into multiple functional units, and configured as multiple functional units.

[0072] (About the color sample matching screen of the information processing device) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a color sample matching screen in an initial state. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which color matching has been performed on the color sample matching screen. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an area selection screen for area selection. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a color sample matching screen displaying a color difference map. A color sample matching screen 1000 displayed on the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8.

[0073] 5 is a screen displayed on the display unit 213 under the control of the display control unit 212 in accordance with an operation input by a user to the input unit 211. The color sample matching screen 1000 is a screen for executing color matching processing in the image forming system 1.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 5, the color sample matching screen 1000 includes a save button 1001, an end button 1002, a manuscript data display operation area 1100, a print sample display operation area 1200, a reproduced image display operation area 1300, a color matching display operation area 1400, and a color difference map display button 1408 (an example of a third operation element).

[0075] The save button 1001 is a button for saving a profile generated by color matching by the color matching unit 207. The exit button 1002 is a button for ending the color matching work on the color sample matching screen 1000 and transitioning to a top screen 2000, which will be described later.

[0076] The manuscript data display operation area 1100 is an area for selecting manuscript data to be color matched and displaying an image of the manuscript data (first image). As shown in Fig. 5, the manuscript data display operation area 1100 includes a manuscript data display area 1101 (first display area), a file selection button 1102, an area selection button 1103, and page forward buttons 1104 and 1105.

[0077] The document data display area 1101 is an area for displaying an image of the document data selected by operating the file selection button 1102 .

[0078] The file selection button 1102 is a button for selecting manuscript data to be displayed as an image in the manuscript data display area 1101. The display control unit 212 displays an image of manuscript data selected by an operation using the file selection button 1102 in the manuscript data display area 1101, as shown in FIG.

[0079] The area selection button 1103 is a button for selecting an area of ​​the image of the manuscript data displayed in the manuscript data display area 1101. When the area selection button 1103 is pressed, the display control unit 212 displays an area selection screen 1500 shown in FIG.

[0080] The page forward button 1104 is a button for switching the image displayed in the manuscript data display area 1101 to the previous image when the manuscript data is made up of multiple images. The page forward button 1105 is a button for switching the image displayed in the manuscript data display area 1101 to the next image when the manuscript data is made up of multiple images.

[0081] The print sample display operation area 1200 is an area for displaying an image (second image) of a print sample based on the read data of the print sample read by the image reading device 30. As shown in Fig. 5 , the print sample display operation area 1200 includes a print sample display area 1201 (second display area), a read button 1202 (an example of a first operation element), an area selection button 1203, a size selection area 1204, a sub-scanning length input area 1205, and a delete button 1206.

[0082] The print sample display area 1201 is an area for displaying an image of a print sample based on the scanned data of the print sample.

[0083] The read button 1202 is a button for causing the image reading device 30 to execute a print sample reading process. As shown in Fig. 6 , the display control unit 212 causes an image of the print sample to be displayed in the print sample display area 1201 based on the read data of the print sample read by the image reading device 30 in response to an operation using the read button 1202.

[0084] The area selection button 1203 is a button for selecting an area of ​​the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201. When the area selection button 1203 is pressed, the display control unit 212 displays an area selection screen 1500 shown in FIG.

[0085] Here, the area selection screen 1500 shown in Fig. 7 will be described. The area selection screen 1500 is a screen for selecting an area in each image in order to align the print sample image with the reproduced image. When the area selection screen 1500 is displayed by pressing the area selection button 1203, an area in the print sample image is selected. As shown in Fig. 7, the area selection screen 1500 includes an image display area 1501, a left rotation button 1511, a right rotation button 1512, an OK button 1513, and a cancel button 1514.

[0086] The image display area 1501 is an area for displaying an image (here, an image of a print sample). The area selection unit 205 selects an area (selection area 1502) within the image of the print sample in accordance with a drag operation or the like performed by the user using the input unit 211.

[0087] The left rotation button 1511 is a button for rotating the image displayed in the image display area 1501 to the left. The right rotation button 1512 is a button for rotating the image displayed in the image display area 1501 to the right.

[0088] The OK button 1513 is a button for confirming the area selected by the area selection unit 205. The cancel button 1514 is a button for canceling the area selection by the area selection unit 205. When the OK button 1513 or the cancel button 1514 is pressed, the display control unit 212 hides the area selection screen 1500 and displays the color sample matching screen 1000.

[0089] The size selection area 1204 is an area for selecting the document size of the print sample when the print sample is read by the image reading device 30. The sub-scanning length input area 1205 is an input area for specifying the length of the print sample in the sub-scanning direction when the document size selected in the size selection area 1204 is not a standard size.

[0090] The delete button 1206 is a button for deleting (hide) the image of the print sample displayed in the print sample display area 1201.

[0091] The reproduction image display operation area 1300 is an area for displaying a reproduction image (third image) based on the read data of a reproduction image printout read by the image reading device 30. As shown in Fig. 5 , the reproduction image display operation area 1300 includes a reproduction image display region 1301 (third display region), a read button 1302 (an example of a second operation element), an area selection button 1303, a size selection region 1304, a sub-scanning length input region 1305, a delete button 1306, and a pre-color-matching color difference display region 1307.

[0092] The reproduced image display area 1301 is an area for displaying a reproduced image based on the scanned data of the reproduced image printout.

[0093] The read button 1302 is a button for causing the image reading device 30 to execute a reading process of a reproduced image printout. As shown in Fig. 6 , the display control unit 212 causes a reproduced image to be displayed in a reproduced image display area 1301 based on the read data of the reproduced image printout read by the image reading device 30 in response to an operation of the read button 1202.

[0094] The area selection button 1303 is a button for selecting an area of ​​the reproduction image displayed in the reproduction image display area 1301. When the area selection button 1303 is pressed, the display control unit 212 displays an area selection screen 1500 shown in Fig. 7. The method for selecting an area of ​​the reproduction image on the area selection screen 1500 is the same as the method for selecting an area of ​​the print sample image described above.

[0095] The size selection area 1304 is an area for selecting the document size of the reproduced image print when the reproduced image print is read by the image reading device 30. The sub-scanning length input area 1305 is an input area for specifying the length of the reproduced image print in the sub-scanning direction when the document size selected in the size selection area 1304 is not a standard size.

[0096] The delete button 1306 is a button for deleting (hiding) the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 .

[0097] The pre-matching color difference display area 1307 is an area that displays the average color difference between the print sample image calculated by the color difference calculation unit 208 and the reproduced image before color matching when color matching is performed by the color matching unit 207 by pressing the color matching execution button 1404 described below.

[0098] The color matching display operation area 1400 is an area for displaying an image (color-matched reproduction image) (fourth image) after color matching has been performed on the reproduction image displayed in the reproduction image display area 1301 so as to match the color of the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201. As shown in FIG. 5 , the color matching display operation area 1400 includes a color-matched reproduction image display area 1401 (fourth display area), a profile selection area 1402, a rendering intent selection area 1403, a color matching execution button 1404, an add profile button 1405, a delete profile button 1406, and a post-color-matching color difference display area 1407.

[0099] The reproduced image display area 1401 after color matching is an area that displays an image (reproduced image after color matching) after color matching has been performed by the color matching unit 207 on the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 so as to match the color of the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201.

[0100] The profile selection area 1402 is an area for selecting a profile to be applied when the plotter 531 prints out a reproduced image printout based on a print job of the original data by the print control unit 103. Furthermore, for example, when color matching is performed by the color matching unit 207 by pressing the color matching execution button 1404, the profile selected in the profile selection area 1402 may be updated by the profile generated by the color matching unit 207.

[0101] The rendering intent selection area 1403 is an area for selecting a rendering intent to be applied when the print control unit 103 causes the plotter 531 to print out a reproduced image printout based on a print job of the original data.

[0102] The color matching execution button 1404 is a button for causing the color matching unit 207 to execute color matching on the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 so as to match the color of the image of the print sample displayed in the print sample display area 1201. The color matching execution button 1404 becomes valid when an image of the manuscript data is displayed in the manuscript data display area 1101 (i.e., manuscript data is selected), an image of the print sample is displayed in the print sample display area 1201 (i.e., scanned data of the print sample is obtained), and a reproduced image is displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 (i.e., scanned data of the reproduced image printout is obtained).

[0103] The add profile button 1405 is a button for adding a profile to the profile selection area 1402. The delete profile button 1406 is a button for deleting a profile included in the profile selection area 1402.

[0104] The color difference display area 1407 after color matching is an area that displays the average color difference between the image of the print sample calculated by the color difference calculation unit 208 and the reproduced image after color matching when color matching is performed by the color matching unit 207 by pressing the color matching execution button 1404 described below.

[0105] 8, after color matching is performed using the color matching execution button 1404, the color difference map display button 1408 is a button for switching the display of the reproduction image in the reproduction image display area 1301 and the display of the color-matched reproduction image in the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401 to the display of the color difference map generated by the color difference calculation unit 208. That is, when the color difference map display button 1408 is pressed, the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduction image in the reproduction image display area 1301 to the display of a color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduction image, and switches the display of the color-matched reproduction image in the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401 to the display of a color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduction image after the color matching. Furthermore, when the color difference map display button 1408 is pressed again, the display control unit 212 returns the display of the reproduction image display area 1301 and the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401 to the display of the reproduction image and the color-matched reproduction image, respectively.

[0106] As described above, on the color sample matching screen 1000, the reproduction image display area 1301 and the post-color matching reproduction image display area 1401 are arranged side by side, making it possible to easily compare the images before and after color matching.

[0107] (Overall operation flow of the image forming system) 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the overall operation flow of the image forming system 1 according to the embodiment, with reference to FIG.

[0108] <Step S11> A user performs an operation for printing out manuscript data to be subjected to color matching via the operation display unit 510 of the image forming apparatus 10. In response to this, the job acquisition unit 102 acquires a print job for the manuscript data from the information processing apparatus 20. The job acquisition unit 102 may generate a print job based on manuscript data stored in the image forming apparatus 10. Then, the print control unit 103 applies a preselected profile based on the print job for the manuscript data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102, and causes the plotter 531 to print out a reproduced image printout. The preselected profile is the profile selected in the profile selection area 1402 on the color sample matching screen 1000 displayed by the display control unit 212 of the information processing apparatus 20.

[0109] <Step S12> The user sets the print sample and the reproduced image printout printed out by the image forming apparatus 10 in the image reading device 30. At this time, it is desirable to perform the reading process of the print sample and then set the reproduced image printout in the image reading device 30, or to perform the process in the reverse order. Note that if the print sample and the reproduced image printout have an identifying code (e.g., a color code) printed on them, and if it is possible to identify whether they are the print sample or the reproduced image printout by reading the respective codes, it is also possible to set the print sample and the reproduced image printout in the image reading device 30 at the same time.

[0110] <Step S13> The user selects manuscript data to be subjected to color matching by operating the file selection button 1102 in the manuscript data display operation area 1100 of the color sample matching screen 1000. The display control unit 212 reads out the manuscript data selected by the operation using the file selection button 1102 from the storage unit 214, and displays an image of the manuscript data in the manuscript data display area 1101.

[0111] <Step S14> The user selects the document size of the print sample in a size selection area 1204 of the print sample display operation area 1200 on the color sample matching screen 1000, and presses the read button 1202. The user also selects the document size of the reproduced image printout in a size selection area 1304 of the reproduced image display operation area 1300 on the color sample matching screen 1000, and presses the read button 1302.

[0112] <Step S15> When the user presses the read button 1202 in the print sample display operation area 1200, the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 transmits a command to read the print sample and the document size selected in the size selection area 1204 to the image reading device 30. When the user presses the read button 1302 in the reproduced image display operation area 1300, the communication unit 201 transmits a command to read the reproduced image printout and the document size selected in the size selection area 1304 to the image reading device 30.

[0113] <Step S16> When the image reading device 30 receives a print sample read command and the document size from the information processing device 20, it executes a read process on the print sample set in the image reading device 30 according to the document size. Also, when the image reading device 30 receives a reproduced image printout read command and the document size from the information processing device 20, it executes a read process on the reproduced image printout set in the image reading device 30 according to the document size.

[0114] <Step S17> The image reading device 30 transmits the read data of the print sample to the information processing device 20, and the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 receives the read data. Also, the image reading device 30 transmits the read data of the reproduced image printout to the information processing device 20, and the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 receives the read data.

[0115] Although the operations in steps S14 to S17 have been described above for the print sample and the reproduced image printout together, in reality, they are performed separately for the print sample and the reproduced image printout.

[0116] <Step S18> The display control unit 212 displays an image of the print sample in the print sample display area 1201 based on the read data of the print sample received by the communication unit 201. The display control unit 212 also displays a reproduction image in the reproduction image display area 1301 based on the read data of the reproduction image printout received by the communication unit 201. The positioning unit 206 then aligns the positions of the two images so that the colors of the reproduction image can be matched to the colors of the image of the print sample. The user checks whether the positioning of the image of the print sample displayed in the print sample display area 1201 and the reproduction image displayed in the reproduction image display area 1301 is appropriate.

[0117] <Step S19> The area selection unit 205 selects an area of ​​each image on the area selection screen 1500 in order to align the image of the print sample with the reproduction image, according to operation input by the user via the input unit 211, as necessary. Then, the alignment unit 206 aligns the image of the print sample with the reproduction image based on the areas selected by the area selection unit 205 for the image of the print sample and the reproduction image.

[0118] <Step S20> The color matching unit 207 performs color matching on the reproduced image based on the original data so as to match the color of the image of the print sample. Specifically, the color matching unit 207 adjusts the color of the reproduced image so that it matches the color of the image of the print sample, thereby generating a profile to be applied to the original data.

[0119] <Step S21> When the user presses the color difference map display button 1408, the color difference calculation unit 208 calculates the color difference between the print sample image and the reproduced image after color matching, generates a color difference map, and the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduced image after color matching in the reproduced image display area 1401 to display the color difference map. In addition, the color difference calculation unit 208 calculates the color difference between the print sample image and the reproduced image (i.e., the reproduced image before color matching), generates a color difference map, and the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduced image in the reproduced image display area 1301 to display the color difference map.

[0120] The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates the average color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image after color matching, and the display control unit 212 displays the average color difference in the post-color-matching color difference display area 1407 of the color matching display operation area 1400. The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates the average color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image before color matching, and the display control unit 212 displays the average color difference in the pre-color-matching color difference display area 1307 of the reproduced image display operation area 1300.

[0121] The user checks the color difference maps displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 and the color-matched reproduced image display area 1401, and the color difference averages displayed in the pre-color-matching color difference display area 1307 and the post-color-matching color difference display area 1407, and determines whether color matching is complete or whether to retry.

[0122] <Step S22> When the user determines that color matching is complete, the profile transmission unit 209 transmits the profile generated by the color matching unit 207 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201 in accordance with the user's operation. The communication unit 101 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives the profile.

[0123] <Step S23> The profile acquisition unit 104 of the image forming apparatus 10 acquires the profile received from the information processing device 20 by the communication unit 101. The profile acquisition unit 104 stores (registers) the acquired profile in the storage unit 105. Then, the profile acquisition unit 104 notifies the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101 that the profile has been registered.

[0124] (Normal screen transitions displayed on an information processing device) 10 and 11 are diagrams showing an example of a flow of normal screen transitions in the information processing device according to the embodiment. The transition operation of normal screens displayed on the display unit 213 of the information processing device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0125] When the CPU 601 of the information processing device 20 starts the program, the display control unit 212 first displays a top screen 2000 shown in FIG. 10(a) on the display unit 213. The top screen 2000 is a screen for selecting the start of either color adjustment processing or color sample matching processing (color matching processing). The top screen 2000 includes an easy color adjustment button 2001 and a color sample matching button 2002.

[0126] The simple color adjustment button 2001 is a button for executing color adjustment processing, and the color sample matching button 2002 is a button for executing color matching processing.

[0127] When the user presses the color sample matching button 2002, the display control unit 212 displays the color sample matching screen 1000 in its initial state shown in Fig. 10(b). The color sample matching screen 1000 shown in Fig. 10(b) is the initial state screen before the color matching process is executed, and therefore no image is displayed. When the user presses the end button 1002 on this color sample matching screen 1000, the display control unit 212 displays the top screen 2000 shown in Fig. 10(a).

[0128] When manuscript data is selected by operating the file selection button 1102, the display control unit 212 displays an image of the selected manuscript data in the manuscript data display area 1101, as shown in FIG. 10(c).

[0129] When the read button 1202 is pressed, the image reading device 30 performs a reading process on the print sample to obtain read data of the print sample, and the display control unit 212 displays an image of the print sample in the print sample display area 1201 based on the read data of the print sample, as shown in Figure 11(a).

[0130] When the read button 1302 is pressed, the image reading device 30 performs a reading process on the reproduced image printout to obtain read data of the reproduced image printout, and the display control unit 212 displays the reproduced image in the reproduced image display area 1301 based on the read data of the reproduced image printout, as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0131] When the color matching execution button 1404 is pressed, the color matching unit 207 performs color matching on the reproduction image displayed in the reproduction image display area 1301 so as to match the color of the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201. Then, the display control unit 212 displays the image after color matching by the color matching unit 207 (the reproduction image after color matching) in the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401, as shown in FIG.

[0132] 11(c), by pressing a save button 1001, the profile generated by the color matching unit 207 through color matching is saved in the auxiliary storage device 605. Furthermore, when the save button 1001 is pressed, the profile transmission unit 209 may transmit the profile generated by the color matching unit 207 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201. After the profile has been saved, when an end button 1002 is pressed, the display control unit 212 displays the top screen 2000 shown in FIG. 10(a). On the other hand, when the end button 1002 is pressed without saving the profile, the display control unit 212 displays a data discard confirmation dialog box 1600 as shown in FIG. 11(d).

[0133] The data discard confirmation dialog box 1600 shown in Fig. 11(d) is a dialog box for confirming whether or not to discard the generated profile without saving it. The data discard confirmation dialog box 1600 includes an OK button 1601 and a cancel button 1602. The OK button 1601 is a button for transitioning to the top screen 2000 without saving the profile. The cancel button 1602 is a button for canceling the transition to the top screen 2000 and returning to the color sample matching screen 1000 shown in Fig. 11(c).

[0134] (Screen display behavior when deleting a print sample image or a reproduction image) 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display operation for deleting a print sample image and a reproduction image in the information processing device according to the embodiment. With reference to FIG. 12, a description will be given of the screen display operation when deleting a print sample image and a reproduction image on the color sample matching screen 1000.

[0135] 12(a) shows a color sample matching screen 1000 in which an image of manuscript data is displayed in a manuscript data display area 1101, an image of a print sample is displayed in a print sample display area 1201, and a reproduced image is displayed in a reproduced image display area 1301. When the delete button 1206 is pressed in this state, the display control unit 212 displays a read image discard confirmation dialog box 1700, as shown in FIG.

[0136] The read image discard confirmation dialog box 1700 shown in FIG. 12(b) is a dialog box for confirming the deletion of the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201 (or the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301). The read image discard confirmation dialog box 1700 includes an OK button 1701 and a cancel button 1702. The OK button 1701 is a button for deleting (hide) the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201 (or the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301). The cancel button 1702 is a button for canceling the deletion of the print sample image displayed in the print sample display area 1201 (or the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301) and returning to the color sample matching screen 1000 shown in FIG. 12(a).

[0137] 12(c), the display control unit 212 deletes (hides) the image of the print sample displayed in the print sample display area 1201. This makes it possible to delete the image when, for example, the image reading device 30 fails to read the print sample (for example, when the image is read upside down or backside upside down), and to redisplay the image read by the image reading device 30.

[0138] Note that deletion (non-display) of the reproduced image displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301 using the delete button 1306 can also be achieved by a similar operation.

[0139] (Screen display operation for switching the color difference map display / non-display) 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display operation for switching between displaying and hiding a color difference map in the information processing device according to the embodiment. The screen display operation for switching between displaying and hiding a color difference map on the color sample matching screen 1000 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0140] 13(a) is a screen in a state where an image of the manuscript data is displayed in the manuscript data display area 1101, an image of the print sample is displayed in the print sample display area 1201, a reproduced image is displayed in the reproduced image display area 1301, and a reproduced image after color matching is displayed in the reproduced image display area 1401. When the user presses the color difference map display button 1408 from this state, the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduced image in the reproduced image display area 1301 to a display of a color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image, and switches the display of the reproduced image after color matching in the reproduced image display area 1401 to a display of a color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image after color matching, as shown in FIG.

[0141] When the user presses the color difference map display button 1408 from the state of the color sample matching screen 1000 shown in Figure 13(b), the display control unit 212 switches the display of the color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduction image in the reproduction image display area 1301 to a display of the reproduction image, as shown in Figure 13(a), and switches the display of the color difference map between the image of the print sample and the reproduction image after color matching in the post-color-matching reproduction image display area 1401 to a display of the reproduction image after color matching.

[0142] (Color matching process flow of image forming system) 14 and 15 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of color matching processing in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment. The flow of color matching processing in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0143] <Step S31> The user performs an operation for printing out the manuscript data to be color matched via the operation display unit 510 of the image forming apparatus 10. As a result, the job acquisition unit 102 acquires a print job for the manuscript data from the information processing device 20. Note that the job acquisition unit 102 may generate a print job based on manuscript data stored in the image forming apparatus 10. Then, the print control unit 103 applies a preselected profile based on the print job for the manuscript data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102, and causes the plotter 531 to print out a reproduced image printout. Then, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0144] <Step S32> The user selects manuscript data to be subjected to color matching by operating the file selection button 1102 in the manuscript data display operation area 1100 of the color sample matching screen 1000. The display control unit 212 reads out the manuscript data selected by operating the file selection button 1102 from the storage unit 214, and displays an image of the manuscript data in the manuscript data display area 1101. Then, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0145] <Step S33> If there is no error in the read document data (step S33: Yes), the process proceeds to step S35, and if there is an error (step S33: No), the process proceeds to step S34.

[0146] <Step S34> The user again selects the manuscript data to be subjected to color matching by operating the file selection button 1102 in the manuscript data display operation area 1100 of the color sample matching screen 1000. The display control unit 212 reads out the manuscript data selected by operating the file selection button 1102 from the storage unit 214, and displays an image of the manuscript data in the manuscript data display area 1101. Then, the process proceeds to step S35.

[0147] <Step S35> The user selects the document size of the print sample in the size selection area 1204 of the print sample display operation area 1200 on the color sample matching screen 1000. Then, the process proceeds to step S36.

[0148] <Step S36> If the selected document size is a standard size (step S36: Yes), the process proceeds to step S38, and if it is not a standard size (step S36: No), the process proceeds to step S37.

[0149] <Step S37> The user inputs and sets the length of the print sample in the sub-scanning direction in the sub-scanning length input area 1205. Then, the process proceeds to step S38.

[0150] <Step S38> When the user presses the read button 1202 in the print sample display operation area 1200, the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 transmits a command to read the print sample and the document size selected in the size selection area 1204 to the image reading device 30. Upon receiving the command to read the print sample and the document size from the information processing device 20, the image reading device 30 executes a reading process on the print sample set in the image reading device 30 in accordance with the document size.

[0151] <Step S39> If there is no problem with the reading process by the image reading device 30, such as a jam or a mistake in front and back (step S39: Yes), the image reading device 30 transmits the read data of the print sample to the information processing device 20, and the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 receives the read data. Then, the display control unit 212 displays an image of the print sample in the print sample display area 1201 based on the read data of the print sample received by the communication unit 201. Then, the alignment unit 206 aligns the image of the print sample. The process proceeds to step S41.

[0152] On the other hand, if there is a problem in the reading process by the image reading device 30, such as a jam or a mistake in the front and back sides (step S39: No), the process proceeds to step S40.

[0153] <Step S40> The user takes measures to deal with the problem that occurred during the reading process of the image reading device 30. Then, the process returns to step S38.

[0154] <Step S41> If it is determined that the alignment performed by the alignment unit 206 is appropriate (step S41: Yes), the process proceeds to step S43, and if it is determined that the alignment is not appropriate (step S41: No), the process proceeds to step S42.

[0155] <Step S42> In accordance with a user's operation input on the input unit 211, the area selection unit 205 selects an area of ​​each image on the area selection screen 1500 in order to align the image of the print sample. Then, the alignment unit 206 aligns the image of the print sample based on the area of ​​the image of the print sample selected by the area selection unit 205. Then, the process proceeds to step S43.

[0156] <Step S43> The user selects the document size of the reproduced image printout in the size selection area 1304 of the reproduced image display operation area 1300 on the color sample matching screen 1000. Then, the process proceeds to step S44.

[0157] <Step S44> If the selected document size is a standard size (step S44: Yes), the process proceeds to step S46, and if it is not a standard size (step S44: No), the process proceeds to step S45.

[0158] <Step S45> The user inputs and sets the length of the reproduced image print in the sub-scanning direction in the sub-scanning length input field 1305. Then, the process proceeds to step S46.

[0159] <Step S46> When the user presses the read button 1302 in the reproduced image display operation area 1300, the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 transmits a read command for the reproduced image printout and the document size selected in the size selection area 1304 to the image reading device 30. Upon receiving the read command for the reproduced image printout and the document size from the information processing device 20, the image reading device 30 executes a read process on the reproduced image printout set in the image reading device 30 in accordance with the document size.

[0160] <Step S47> If there is no problem with the reading process by the image reading device 30, such as a jam or a mistake in front and back (step S47: Yes), the image reading device 30 transmits the read data of the reproduced image printout to the information processing device 20, and the communication unit 201 of the information processing device 20 receives the read data. Then, the display control unit 212 displays the reproduced image in the reproduced image display area 1301 based on the read data of the reproduced image printout received by the communication unit 201. Then, the positioning unit 206 performs positioning of both images so that the reproduced image can be color-matched to match the color of the image of the print sample. The process proceeds to step S49.

[0161] On the other hand, if there is a problem in the reading process by the image reading device 30, such as a jam or a mistake in the front and back sides (step S47: No), the process proceeds to step S48.

[0162] <Step S48> The user takes measures to deal with the problem that occurred during the reading process of the image reading device 30. Then, the process returns to step S46.

[0163] <Step S49> If it is determined that the alignment performed by the alignment unit 206 is appropriate (step S49: Yes), the process proceeds to step S51, and if it is determined that the alignment is not appropriate (step S49: No), the process proceeds to step S50.

[0164] <Step S50> In accordance with a user's operation input on input unit 211, area selection unit 205 selects an area of ​​the reproduction image on area selection screen 1500 in order to align the image of the print sample with the reproduction image. Then, alignment unit 206 aligns the image of the print sample with the reproduction image based on the area of ​​the reproduction image selected by area selection unit 205. Then, the process proceeds to step S51.

[0165] <Step S51> The user selects the profile applied to the printout of the reproduced image printout in the profile selection area 1402. Then, the process proceeds to step S52.

[0166] <Step S52> The user selects the rendering intent applied to the printout of the reproduced image printout in the rendering intent selection area 1403. Then, the process proceeds to step S53.

[0167] <Step S53> The color matching unit 207 performs color matching on the reproduced image based on the original data so that it matches the color of the image of the print sample. Specifically, the color matching unit 207 generates a profile to be applied to the original data by adjusting the color of the reproduced image so that it matches the color of the image of the print sample. Then, the process proceeds to step S54.

[0168] <Step S54> When the user presses the color difference map display button 1408, the color difference calculation unit 208 calculates the color difference between the print sample image and the reproduced image after color matching and generates a color difference map, and the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduced image after color matching in the reproduced image display area 1401 to display the color difference map. In addition, the color difference calculation unit 208 calculates the color difference between the print sample image and the reproduced image (i.e., the reproduced image before color matching) and generates a color difference map, and the display control unit 212 switches the display of the reproduced image in the reproduced image display area 1301 to display the color difference map. This allows the user to compare the color difference maps before and after color matching. Then, the process proceeds to step S55.

[0169] <Step S55> The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates the average color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image after color matching, and the display control unit 212 displays the average color difference in the post-color-matching color difference display area 1407 of the color matching display operation area 1400. The color difference calculation unit 208 also calculates the average color difference between the image of the print sample and the reproduced image before color matching, and the display control unit 212 displays the average color difference in the pre-color-matching color difference display area 1307 of the reproduced image display operation area 1300.

[0170] This allows the user to check the average color difference before and after color matching, and the process then moves to step S56.

[0171] <Step S56> If the color matching result is satisfactory (step S56: Yes), the process proceeds to step S58, and if the result is not satisfactory (step S56: No), the process proceeds to step S57.

[0172] <Step S57> The user again performs an operation to print out the manuscript data to be color matched via the operation display unit 510 of the image forming apparatus 10. As a result, the job acquisition unit 102 acquires a print job for the manuscript data from the information processing device 20. Then, the print control unit 103 applies the profile generated in step S53 based on the print job for the manuscript data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102, and again causes the plotter 531 to print out a reproduced image printout. Then, the process returns to step S46.

[0173] <Step S58> If the color matching result is satisfactory, in accordance with a user operation, the profile sending unit 209 sends the profile generated by the color matching unit 207 to the image forming device 10 via the communication unit 201. The communication unit 101 of the image forming device 10 receives the profile.

[0174] The profile acquisition unit 104 of the image forming apparatus 10 acquires the profile received from the information processing apparatus 20 by the communication unit 101. The profile acquisition unit 104 stores (registers) the acquired profile in the storage unit 105. Then, the profile acquisition unit 104 notifies the information processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 101 that the profile has been registered. Thereafter, the image forming apparatus 10 performs printing by applying the registered profile.

[0175] As described above, in the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment, the display control unit 212 controls the display of the original data display area 1101, which displays an image of the original data; the print sample display area 1201, which displays an image of the print sample based on the read data obtained by the image reading device 30 from the print sample; the reproduction image display area 1301, which displays a reproduction image based on the read data obtained by the image reading device 30 from a reproduction image printout printed by the image forming device 10 based on the original data; and the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401, which displays a reproduction image after color matching based on the original data so that the colors of the reproduction image match the colors of the print sample image. In this way, the display of the print sample image, the reproduction image, and the color-matched reproduction image are displayed, making it easy to determine color reproducibility and achieving stable color reproducibility that approaches the colors of the print sample. In particular, the display control unit 212 displays the reproduction image display area 1301 and the color-matched reproduction image display area 1401 side-by-side, making it easy to determine color reproducibility.

[0176] In the above-described embodiments, when at least one of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 is realized by executing a program, the program is provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like. In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. In the above-described embodiments, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the programs executed by the image forming device 10 and the information processing device 20 are modularly configured to include at least one of the above-described functional units, and in terms of actual hardware, the CPU 501 (CPU 601) reads and executes the programs from the above-described storage devices (e.g., system memory 502, auxiliary storage device 508, auxiliary storage device 605, etc.), thereby loading and generating the above-described functional units onto the main storage device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1. Image forming system 10 Image forming device 20 Information processing equipment 30 Image reader 101 Communications Department 102 Job Acquisition Unit 103 Printing control unit 104 Profile Acquisition Unit 105 Storage section 201 Communications Department 202 Job sending unit 203 Settings 204 Color value acquisition section 205 Area Selection Section 206 Alignment section 207 Color Matching Section 208 Color difference calculation section 209 Profile Transmission Unit 211 Input section 212 Display control unit 213 Display section 214 Storage section 500 Controller 501 CPU 502 System Memory (MEM-P) 503 Northbridge (NB) 504a Southbridge (SB) 504b Network I / F 504c USB I / F 504d Centronics I / F 505 AGP 506 ASIC 507 Local Memory (MEM-C) 508 Auxiliary storage 510 Operation display section 520 FCU 531 Plotter 532 Scanner 601 CPU 602 ROM 603 RAM 605 Auxiliary storage 606 Recording Media 607 Media Drive 608 Display 609 Network I / F 610 Bus 611 keyboard 612 Mouse 613 DVD 614 DVD drive 1000 color sample matching screen 1001 Save button 1002 Exit button 1100 Manuscript data display operation area 1101 Manuscript data display area 1102 File selection button 1103 Area selection button 1104, 1105 Page forward button 1200 Print sample display operation area 1201 Print sample display area 1202 Read button 1203 Area selection button 1204 Size Selection Area 1205 Sub-scanning length input area 1206 Delete button 1300 Reproduced image display operation area 1301 Reproduced image display area 1302 Read button 1303 Area selection button 1304 Size Selection Area 1305 Sub-scan length input area 1306 Delete button 1307 Pre-match color difference display area 1400 Color matching display operation area 1401 Reproduced image display area after color matching 1402 Profile Selection Area 1403 Rendering Intent Selection Area 1404 Color matching execution button 1405 Add Profile Button 1406 Delete Profile Button 1407 Color difference display area after color matching 1408 Color difference map display button 1500 Area selection screen 1501 Image display area 1502 Selection Area 1511 Left rotation button 1512 Right rotation button 1513 OK button 1514 Cancel button 1600 Data Destruction Confirmation Dialog Box 1601 OK button 1602 Cancel button 1700 Scanned image discard confirmation dialog box 1701 OK button 1702 Cancel button 2000 Top Screen 2001 Easy Color Adjustment Button 2002 Color sample matching button N Network PS print sample RIP Reproduced image print [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0178] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-135312

Claims

1. a first display area for displaying a first image of the manuscript data; a second display area for displaying a second image based on the first read data read by the image reading device of the print sample; a third display area for displaying a third image based on second read data read by the image reading device, for a printed matter printed out by the image forming device based on the document data; a fourth display area for displaying a fourth image after color matching has been performed based on the document data so that the color of the third image matches the color of the second image; a display control unit that performs display control for Equipped with The display control unit displaying a third operation element for switching the display of images in the third display area and the fourth display area; An information processing device that, when an operation is performed on the third operation element, switches the third image displayed in the third display area to a first color difference image showing the color difference between the second image and the third image, and switches the fourth image displayed in the fourth display area to a second color difference image showing the color difference between the second image and the fourth image.

2. the display control unit displays a first operation element for causing the image reading device to read the print sample and a second operation element for causing the image reading device to read the printed material; a reading command unit that, when the first operation element is operated, causes the image reading device to execute a reading process of the print sample, and, when the second operation element is operated, causes the image reading device to execute a reading process of the print material; The information processing device according to claim 1 further comprising:

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit arranges the third display area and the fourth display area adjacent to each other.

4. a region selection unit that selects regions in the second image and the third image in accordance with an operation input to an input unit; a registration unit that aligns the second image and the third image based on the region of the second image and the region of the third image selected by the region selection unit so as to enable the color matching; 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a color matching unit that generates a profile to be applied when printing out the original data by performing the color matching so that the color of the third image matches the color of the second image.

6. the image reading device; the image forming apparatus; An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; An image forming system comprising:

7. a first display step of displaying a first image of the manuscript data in a first display area; a second display step of displaying a second image based on the first read data read by the image reading device on the print sample in a second display area; a third display step of displaying, in a third display area, a third image based on second read data read by the image reading device, of a printed matter printed out by the image forming device based on the document data; a fourth display step of displaying a fourth image in a fourth display area after color matching has been performed based on the document data so that the color of the third image matches the color of the second image; displaying a third operation element for switching the display of images in the third display area and the fourth display area; When an operation is performed on the third operation element, switching the third image displayed in the third display area to a first color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the third image, and switching the fourth image displayed in the fourth display area to a second color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the fourth image; An information processing method comprising:

8. On the computer, a first display step of displaying a first image of the manuscript data in a first display area; a second display step of displaying a second image based on the first read data read by the image reading device on the print sample in a second display area; a third display step of displaying, in a third display area, a third image based on second read data read by the image reading device, of a printed matter printed out by the image forming device based on the document data; a fourth display step of displaying a fourth image in a fourth display area after color matching has been performed based on the document data so that the color of the third image matches the color of the second image; displaying a third operation element for switching the display of images in the third display area and the fourth display area; When an operation is performed on the third operation element, switching the third image displayed in the third display area to a first color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the third image, and switching the fourth image displayed in the fourth display area to a second color difference image indicating a color difference between the second image and the fourth image; A program to execute.

Images