Inspection device

Abstract

To provide a mechanism that efficiently performs settings related to inspection of a printed material.SOLUTION: An inspection device reads an image formed on a printed material to create a reference image of an inspection object, specifies areas including objects in the reference image, and displays the areas in a selectable manner. The inspection device collectively sets inspection conditions for the plurality of areas selected by a user through the displayed reference image. When the plurality of areas selected by the user include different areas including the objects of different inspection types from each other, the inspection device invalidates the collective setting of the inspection conditions. On the other hand, when the plurality of areas selected by the user do not include the different areas, the inspection device validates the collective setting of the inspection conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

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[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device, a control method thereof, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, an inspection device that automatically inspects printed materials as post-processing of a printing device has been known. In such an inspection device, correct image data is registered in advance. Then, when a print output is performed on a sheet by an image forming device according to input manuscript image data, the inspection device reads the data printed on the sheet with an inspection sensor. The inspection device detects an abnormality in the printed material by comparing the image data (inspection image) read by the inspection sensor with the correct image data (reference image) registered in advance. An inspection for detecting an abnormality in the pattern portion of such a printed material is called a print image inspection.

[0003] In addition to the print image inspection, inspections of variable regions such as character strings and barcodes are also performed in variable printing. For example, a data readability inspection for checking whether a character string or barcode is readable, and a data collation inspection for collating the read result of a character string or barcode with the correct answer can be cited. Hereinafter, the data readability inspection and the data collation inspection are referred to as data inspections. In data inspections, the user has to create a glyph font, which is data associating a glyph image of a character with a character code for optical character recognition (OCR). Note that the work of creating a glyph font is called glyph registration.

[0004] <00​​​​​​​​​​​​Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-6603 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has the following problems. The above-mentioned conventional technology describes a technique for switching the method of generating correct images used for data inspection and print image inspection. However, it does not describe how to set the inspection area, making it impossible to efficiently set up data inspection and print image inspection. For example, when performing data inspection, if you want to read strings in multiple areas, you need to set up each area separately. Therefore, there is a problem that the more inspection areas there are, the more settings operations are required.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a mechanism for efficiently setting up the inspection of printed materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is characterized by comprising, for example, an inspection device, which includes: a reading means for reading an image formed on a printed material and generating a reference image of the object to be inspected; a display means for identifying and selectively displaying regions containing objects within the reference image; a setting means for collectively setting inspection conditions for a plurality of regions selected by a user via the reference image displayed on the display means; and a control means for disabling the collectively setting of inspection conditions by the setting means if the plurality of regions selected by the user each contain different regions containing objects of different inspection types, and for enabling the collectively setting of inspection conditions by the setting means if the plurality of regions selected by the user do not contain the different regions.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized by comprising, for example, an inspection device, which includes: a reading means for reading an image formed on a printed material and generating a reference image of the object to be inspected; a display means for identifying and selectively displaying regions containing objects within the reference image; a setting means for collectively setting inspection conditions for a plurality of regions selected by a user via the reference image displayed on the display means; and a control means for disabling all settings of the inspection conditions before a region is selected by the user, and when a region is selected by the user, enabling the setting of the inspection conditions corresponding to the inspection type of the selected region according to the inspection type of the selected region. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, settings related to the inspection of printed materials can be efficiently configured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of a system configuration including an inspection device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the internal configuration of an inspection device 110 according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] Flowchart of the entire inspection process according to one embodiment [Figure 5] Flowchart of inspection settings for S403 according to one embodiment [Figure 6] Flowchart of the process for enabling / disabling UI settings according to one embodiment [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of the UI screen for inspection settings according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a UI screen for inspection settings when selecting an inspection area for a different type of inspection according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the UI screen for inspection settings when selecting an inspection area of ​​the same inspection type according to one embodiment. [Figure 10]Flowchart of inspection execution of S404 according to an embodiment [Figure 11] Diagram showing determination conditions for validity / invalidity of settings by inspection type according to an embodiment [Figure 12] Diagram showing an example of a UI screen for confirming the availability of batch setting changes according to an embodiment [Figure 13] Flowchart of switching process for validity / invalidity of UI settings according to an embodiment [Figure 14] Flowchart of switching process for validity / invalidity of UI settings according to an embodiment [Figure 15] Flowchart of object analysis of S1405 according to an embodiment [Figure 16] Example of block selection process according to an embodiment [Figure 17] Diagram showing an example of character area discrimination using a projection histogram according to an embodiment

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0013] <First Embodiment> <Overall Configuration of the System> Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, referring to FIG. 1, the system configuration including the inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. This system includes an image forming apparatus 100, an inspection apparatus 110, a finisher 120, a client PC 130, and a print server 140. Each device is connected to be communicable with each other via a network 150.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 100 performs print output based on various input data, such as print data sent from a client PC 130 or a print server 140. The inspection device 110 receives the printed material output from the image forming apparatus 100 and inspects the received material for any abnormalities. An abnormality here refers to any discrepancy from the expected print output result, such as stains caused by colorant adhering to unintended areas during printing, or color omissions caused by insufficient colorant adhering to intended areas. Of course, other abnormalities may also be included. The printed material output from the image forming apparatus 100 may be automatically transported to the inspection device 110 via a transport path, or it may be manually inserted into the inspection device 110 by the user.

[0015] Furthermore, the inspection device 110 can inspect variable areas such as text strings and barcodes in variable printing. For example, it can perform data readability inspection to check whether text strings or barcodes are readable, and data verification inspection to compare the reading results of text strings or barcodes with the correct answer. Therefore, as described above, the inspection device 110 according to this embodiment can perform print image inspection and data inspection.

[0016] The finisher 120 receives the output paper inspected by the inspection device 110, switches the output destination according to the inspection results of the inspection device 110, and performs post-processing (such as bookbinding) as necessary before outputting the paper. The image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the client PC 130 and the print server 140 via the network 150. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the inspection device 110 and the finisher 120 via a communication cable. In addition to the image forming apparatus 100, the inspection device 110 is also connected to the finisher 120 via a communication cable. In this embodiment, an inline inspection machine that performs image forming, inspection, post-processing, and paper output in an integrated manner will be described as an example.

[0017] <Configuration of an image forming apparatus> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described. The image forming apparatus 100 comprises a controller 200, a printer unit 210, and a UI unit 220. The controller 200 converts images and documents received via the network 150 into print data. The printer unit 210 prints on paper according to the print data. The UI unit 220 allows the user to give instructions to the image forming apparatus 100, such as selecting paper information.

[0018] The controller 200 comprises a network interface unit 201, a CPU 202, RAM 203, ROM 204, an image processing unit 205, an engine interface unit 206, and a communication interface unit 207. The network interface unit 201 transmits and receives data with external devices via the network 150. The CPU 202 controls the entire image forming apparatus 100. The RAM 203 is used as a work area when the CPU 202 executes various instructions. The ROM 204 stores program data executed by the CPU 202 at startup, as well as configuration data for the controller 200, etc.

[0019] The image processing unit 205 performs various image processing operations, such as RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing, to convert image and document data received via the network 150 into print data. The image processing unit 205 can also perform RIP processing to convert image data and document data received via the network 150 into ground truth image data. Specifically, in RIP processing for ground truth image data, for example, a 600dpi resolution is converted to 300dpi to generate an image, while in RIP processing for print data, an image is generated without reducing the resolution.

[0020] The engine interface unit 206 transmits the image-processed print data to the printer unit 210. The communication interface unit 207 controls communication with the inspection device 110 and the finisher 120. Each component included in the controller 200 can communicate information with each other via the internal bus 208.

[0021] Images and documents created on the client PC 130 or print server 140 are transmitted as PDL data to the image forming apparatus 100 via the network (e.g., Local Area Network) 150. The transmitted PDL data is stored in RAM 203 via the network I / F unit 201. Print instructions from the user via the UI unit 220 are also stored in RAM 203 via the internal bus 208. User print instructions include, for example, the selection of paper type.

[0022] The image processing unit 205 retrieves the PDL data stored in RAM 203 and performs image processing to convert it into print data. Image processing to convert to print data includes, for example, rasterizing the PDL data to convert it into multi-level bitmap data, and then performing screen processing to convert it into binary bitmap data. The binary bitmap data obtained by the image processing unit 205 is transmitted to the printer unit 210 via the engine I / F unit 206.

[0023] The printer unit 210 prints the received binary bitmap data onto paper using colorants. The CPU 202 issues instructions to the printer unit 210 based on the user's print instructions stored in RAM 203. For example, if the user instructs to print on coated paper, the CPU 202 instructs the printer unit 210 to output paper from a paper cassette (not shown) in the image forming apparatus 100 where coated paper is stored. The various processes from the reception of the PDL data to printing on the paper are controlled by the CPU 202, so that a full-color toner image is formed on the paper.

[0024] <Internal configuration of inspection device 110> Next, with reference to Figure 3, the internal configuration of the inspection device 110 according to this embodiment will be described. The inspection device 110 comprises an inspection control unit 300, an image reading unit 310, and a UI unit 320. The inspection control unit 300 controls the entire inspection device 110, checks whether there are any abnormalities in the printed material, and checks variable area parts such as strings of text and barcodes. The image reading unit 310 reads the printed material conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100. The UI unit 320 allows the user to configure the inspection device 110 and displays the inspection results to the user. Here, the user's configuration of the inspection device 110 refers to the items of abnormalities to be checked when inspecting the printed material. Inspection items include, for example, round abnormalities (dots), linear abnormalities (streaks), and correctness judgment of variable area parts such as strings of text and barcodes.

[0025] The inspection control unit 300 comprises a communication interface unit 301, a CPU 302, RAM 303, ROM 304, and an inspection processing unit 305. Each component can communicate information with each other via an internal bus 306. The communication interface unit 301 sends and receives data between the image forming apparatus 100 and the finisher 120. The CPU 302 controls the entire inspection apparatus 110. The RAM 303 is used as a work area when the CPU 302 executes various instructions. The ROM 304 stores program data executed by the CPU 302 at startup, as well as setting data for the inspection control unit 300. The inspection processing unit 305 checks whether there are any abnormalities in the printed material.

[0026] (Print image inspection) Here, we will explain the outline of the print image inspection performed by the inspection device 110. The inspection device 110 reads the printed material transported from the image forming apparatus 100 using the image reading unit 310 and acquires a scanned image of the item to be inspected. The acquired scanned image of the item to be inspected is stored in the RAM 303. Next, the inspection device 110, using the inspection processing unit 305, compares the scanned image of the item to be inspected with a reference image that has been previously stored in the RAM 303 as a correct image, and acquires the difference value.

[0027] Next, the inspection device 110 performs the inspection by comparing the acquired difference value with the inspection threshold (contrast and size) of each inspection item for each pixel. The inspection results are stored in the RAM 303. The stored information includes, for example, whether or not there is a defect in the printed material, the type of defect detected (dot or streak), and the location information of the defect when displayed on the UI unit 320.

[0028] (Data analysis) Next, an overview of the data inspection performed by the inspection device 110 will be described. The inspection device 110 reads the printed material transported from the image forming apparatus 100 using the image reading unit 310 and acquires a scanned image of the item to be inspected. The acquired scanned image of the item to be inspected is stored in the RAM 303.

[0029] Next, the inspection device 110, using the inspection processing unit 305, checks whether the strings and barcodes are readable using pre-set character fonts for character recognition (OCR processing) and barcode standards. It can also perform data matching checks to verify that the read strings and barcodes match the correct data. The results of the inspection are stored in the RAM 303. The stored information includes, for example, the results of the strings and barcodes read from the printed material, the results of the comparison with the correct data, and the position information of the read characters and barcodes when displayed on the UI unit 320.

[0030] (Inspection results output) Next, the output of inspection results by the inspection device will be explained. The inspection device 110, via the CPU 302, instructs the UI unit 320 to display the inspection results stored in the RAM 303. The user can recognize the inspection results when they are displayed on the UI unit 320.

[0031] Furthermore, if a certain number of defective printed materials are produced consecutively, the inspection device 110 transmits the above information to the image forming apparatus 100 via the communication interface unit 301 using the CPU 302. The controller 200 receives the information that defective printed materials have been produced consecutively via the communication interface unit 207. When the controller 200 receives the above information, the CPU 202 instructs the printer unit 210 to stop printing. The image forming apparatus 100 stops printing when the printer unit 210 is instructed to stop printing.

[0032] Furthermore, the inspection device 110, based on the inspection results stored in the RAM 303 via the CPU 302, also transmits information to the finisher 120 via the communication I / F unit 301. The information transmitted to the finisher 120 is whether or not there is a defect in the printed material. Using the received information, the finisher 120 ejects printed materials without defects to the normal output tray, and printed materials with defects to a tray separate from the normal output tray.

[0033] <Overall processing> Next, with reference to Figure 4, the overall processing procedure from the registration work before the start of inspection to the execution of inspection in the inspection processing unit 305 according to this embodiment will be explained. Each process in Figure 4 is executed by the inspection device 110 according to the operation from the user's client PC 130. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in the ROM 304 is loaded into the RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by the CPU 302. Data created during the processing of the inspection device 110 is temporarily stored in the RAM 303 or a storage unit not shown.

[0034] First, in S401, CPU302 registers the glyphs by creating a glyph font. The glyphs registered here are used during data inspection. A glyph font is data that associates glyph images with character codes, which are necessary for optical character recognition (OCR) performed during data inspection. In some cases, data inspection may not be performed, and only print image inspection may be performed. In this case, S401 is skipped and the process moves on to S402.

[0035] The procedure for creating a glyph font is as follows: First, the inspection device 110 waits in glyph font image reading mode and accepts a print job for glyph font creation from the client PC 130. The inspection device 110 accepts the glyph font job from the client PC and reads the glyph font image. When printing is executed, the inspection device 110 detects the paper transport and scans the paper with the image reading unit 310, and saves the scanned image to the RAM 303 of the inspection device 110. From the scanned image, the characters to be OCR are extracted one by one, and the glyph font is created by the user inputting the character code for each extracted character image. Although the method for creating a glyph font in this embodiment is described, it is not limited to this embodiment, and any method that can create data associating character codes with each character image extracted from the scanned image is acceptable.

[0036] Next, in S402, the CPU 302 registers a reference image that will be the correct image for inspection. The inspection device 110 waits in reference image reading mode, and a print job for reference image registration is executed from the client PC 130. When printing is executed, the inspection device 110 detects the paper transport and scans the paper with the image reading unit 310, and the scanned image is saved as the reference image in the RAM 303 of the inspection device 110.

[0037] Next, in S403, the CPU 302 sets various inspection parameters such as the inspection area and inspection level according to the user's inspection settings. Details of S403 in this embodiment will be described later. Subsequently, in S404, the CPU 302 receives an inspection print job from the client PC 130, detects the paper transport, scans the paper with the image reading unit 310, and saves the scanned image (inspection image) to the RAM 303 of the inspection device 110. Then, the CPU 302 performs an inspection using the inspection image scanned from the inspection job and the reference image registered in S402, along with the inspection parameters set in S403. Details of S404 in this embodiment will be described later. The above is a description of the overall flow from the registration work before the start of inspection to the execution of inspection in this embodiment.

[0038] <Test Settings> Next, referring to Figure 5, the processing procedure for setting up the inspection in S403 will be described. By performing the processing in this flowchart, the inspection device 110 sets various inspection parameters such as the inspection area and inspection level for printed image inspection and data inspection according to the user's inspection settings. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in the ROM 304 is loaded into the RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by the CPU 302.

[0039] First, an example of the UI related to inspection settings will be explained using Figure 7. The UI screen 700 shown in Figure 7 is displayed on the UI unit 320 of the inspection device 110 when setting the inspection items in S403. Button 701 is a reference image change button and is used when changing the reference image. Button 702 is a selection button for selecting the inspection area. When the selection button 702 is selected, one or more areas can be selected from among the multiple areas enclosed by dotted lines in the image displayed in the page preview 704. As for how to select, for example, if the UI unit 320 is composed of a touch panel display, the area to be selected can be selected by touching the area with the selection button 702 selected. Also, the selected area can be deselected by touching it again. Thus, the selection button 702 is a button that the user presses when they want to change the setting information of an already set area.

[0040] Page Preview 704 is a display screen that shows the reference image loaded by S402. Button 703 is for rotating the image displayed in Page Preview 704. Button 721 is pressed by the user when setting the area for print image inspection. Therefore, when Button 721 is selected and one or more areas are selected from multiple areas in the image displayed in Page Preview 704, the selected areas are set as the pattern image. Button 722 is pressed by the user when setting the area for data inspection. Therefore, when Button 722 is selected and one or more areas are selected from multiple areas in the image displayed in Page Preview 704, the selected areas are set as the data inspection target areas where text strings, barcodes, etc., are formed.

[0041] UI706 is a group of UI elements used to set the level of anomalies to detect when performing print image inspection. Details of UI706 will be described later. UI709 is a group of UI elements used to set the data file to be referenced when comparing detected data, the type of data inspection, and its detailed information when performing data inspection. Details of UI709 will be described later. Button 716 is the button to complete all inspection settings and execute the inspection. Button 719 is the button to interrupt the inspection settings. When button 719 is pressed by the user, the information being set is discarded and the inspection settings are terminated.

[0042] Let's explain Figure 5. Note that the processes described below configure inspection settings in response to user input and are not necessarily controlled in the order described below. In other words, the processes described below are executed in a non-linear fashion, as much as possible, in response to user input.

[0043] First, in S501, the CPU 302 changes the reference image registered in S402 according to the user's inspection settings. For example, if there is an abnormality in the image portion of the reference image registered in S402, a correct inspection cannot be performed. In such a case, the user can change the reference image by pressing button 701. When button 701 is pressed, the CPU 302 waits in reference image reading mode and executes a print job for reference image registration on the client PC 130. When printing is executed, the CPU 302 detects the paper transport and scans the paper with the image reading unit 310, and saves the scanned image as a reference image in the RAM 303 of the inspection device 110. Then, the CPU 302 changes the image displayed in the page preview 704 to the scanned image.

[0044] Next, in S502, the CPU 302 sets the print image inspection area according to the user's inspection settings. More specifically, the CPU 302 identifies one or more areas in the acquired reference image where some kind of image, such as a string of characters, a barcode, or an image object, is printed, and displays the identified areas on the UI unit 320 so that they can be selected. These areas may be identified by identifying a set of pixels where printing has occurred. In this case, the pixels included in the set do not need to be consecutive, and may include a certain amount of spacing (blank pixels). In other words, areas divided by a predetermined number of blank pixels or more are identified. The user may also identify the areas. For example, as shown in Figure 7 described later, the identified areas are enclosed in a dotted frame and displayed so that they can be selected. According to this embodiment, the inspection conditions for print image inspection can be set for one or more such identified areas, and this is done in the following procedure. First, the user presses the Print Image Inspection Area Setting button 721. Subsequently, the user selects one or more areas to be inspected in the page preview 704. As a result, the inspection device 110 sets the selected corresponding specified range as the print image inspection areas 732 and 733. The print image inspection areas are inspection areas that detect abnormalities in the image portion of the printed material.

[0045] Next, in S503, CPU302 sets the detection items and their detection levels for detecting abnormalities in the print image inspection of UI707, according to the user's inspection settings. The detection items for print image inspection are items related to the characteristics of abnormalities that you want to detect when inspecting printed materials, such as round abnormalities (dots) or linear abnormalities (streaks). The detection level is a parameter that is set in stages to determine how large an abnormality characteristic must be to be judged as such. For example, there are five levels from level 1 to level 5, and level 5 can detect abnormalities that are thinner and smaller than level 1. Also, a level can be set for each inspection item, such as inspection level 5 for dots and inspection level 4 for streaks. In UI707, the user has selected inspection level 4 for abnormalities (dots) and level 4 for abnormalities (streaks).

[0046] Next, in S504, the CPU 302 sets the data inspection area according to the user's inspection settings. The method for setting the data inspection area in this embodiment is as follows: First, the user presses the data inspection area setting button 722. Subsequently, the user selects one or more areas to be inspected in the page preview 704. As a result, the inspection device 110 sets the selected specified range as data inspection areas 730 and 731 for string inspection and data inspection areas 734 and 735 for barcode inspection. Note that the data inspection area is an inspection area that reads the set data type (string or barcode) and determines whether it is correct or incorrect.

[0047] Next, in S505, CPU302 sets the file for the matching inspection data to be used as the correct character information when determining correctness in the UI710 data inspection, according to the user's inspection settings, using a file selection method. In this embodiment, the matching inspection data is a reference CSV file for data inspection that is used for comparison when performing data inspection. The reference CSV file is a file that the user should prepare in advance, and it is a file that lists the correct strings for string inspection and barcode inspection. When executing data inspection, CPU302 compares the reading results of the string inspection area and barcode with the correct strings listed in the reference CSV file. In the UI710 in Figure 7, the data with the filename "abc.csv" is selected as the matching inspection data.

[0048] Next, in S506, CPU302 sets the type of string inspection or barcode inspection selected by the user using a pull-down menu within the data inspection type setting of UI720, according to the user's inspection settings. In this embodiment, the string type refers to the glyph font registered in S401. In the UI720 of Figure 7, "OCRB 12pt" is selected as the glyph font for string inspection. In this embodiment, the barcode type refers to the barcode standard supported by the data inspection. For example, one-dimensional barcodes such as CODE39 and JAN, and two-dimensional codes such as QR codes and DataMatrix codes can also be selected in UI720 if they are standards supported by the data inspection. In the UI720 of Figure 7, "CODE39" is selected as the barcode inspection. According to this embodiment, since data inspection areas 730 and 731 are strings, "OCRB 12pt" is set as the data inspection type, and since data inspection areas 734 and 735 are barcode inspections, "CODE39" is set.

[0049] Next, in S507, CPU302 sets the reading direction (angle) of text or barcodes when performing data inspection according to the user's inspection settings, using one of the direction setting buttons 712 to 715 on UI711. The direction setting buttons 712 to 715 correspond to 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°, which are 90-degree increments based on the paper transport direction clockwise. Since the paper transport direction is to the left when viewed from the page preview 704 in Figure 7, the angle setting corresponding to direction setting button 712 is set to 0°. Direction setting buttons 712 to 715 are set to correspond to the displayed angle (direction) of the text or barcode shown in the page preview 704. Note that although the setting of the reading direction of text or barcodes in this embodiment was described using the direction setting buttons 712 to 715, any UI that can set the direction (e.g., radio buttons) is acceptable, not limited to this embodiment. Subsequently, in S508, when the user presses the OK button 716, the CPU 302 saves the inspection settings to the RAM 303 and terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0050] The above describes the processing flow for setting up inspection in S403 in this embodiment. Note that during the user setting operation in Figure 5, the settings for print image inspection and data inspection can be adjusted again after the initial setting. Also, as already explained, it is possible to select multiple print image inspection areas set in S502 and multiple data inspection areas set in S504, and it is also possible to adjust the inspection range of multiple areas at once. The process for enabling or disabling the UI for setting inspection settings when multiple areas are selected will be described later.

[0051] <Inspection Process> Next, referring to Figure 10, the processing procedure of the inspection device 110 after the inspection setting, which is the inspection execution in S404, will be described. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in the ROM 304 is loaded into the RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by the CPU 302. When the user presses the inspection start button (not shown) displayed on the UI unit 320, the inspection device 110 performs the inspection using the inspection processing unit 305.

[0052] First, in S1001, the inspection processing unit 305 detects abnormalities (spots) and abnormalities (streaks) contained in the paper as printing abnormalities, according to the inspection settings made by the user in S403. The method for detecting printing abnormalities in this embodiment is to extract the difference between the reference image registered in S402 and the scanned image of the corresponding print job, and to detect abnormalities (spots) and abnormalities (streaks) from the features of the extracted difference image. The method for detecting printing abnormalities is not limited to this embodiment and may utilize known methods.

[0053] Next, in S1002, the inspection processing unit 305 performs OCR or barcode recognition of the data inspection area according to the inspection settings made by the user in S403. The OCR in this embodiment is performed in the following procedure. First, the target area that has been OCR'd is divided into individual characters. Then, using the glyph font registered in S401, the similarity between the glyph images registered in the glyph font and the divided characters is obtained, and the character code corresponding to the glyph image with the highest similarity is taken as the result for one character. Finally, the string obtained by combining the results of all the divided characters becomes the OCR result. This embodiment is not limited to this one; any known method using a glyph font for OCR may be used.

[0054] Next, in S1003, the inspection processing unit 305 compares the character recognition results and barcode recognition results obtained in S1002 with the correct strings listed in the matching inspection file set in S505. It then outputs the correct / incorrect result as the inspection result. Subsequently, in S1004, the inspection processing unit 305 sends the inspection result obtained in S1003 to the UI unit 320, and the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0055] Here, when the UI unit 320 receives the inspection result, it displays the scanned image of the object being inspected and the inspection result to the user. If there is an abnormality in the printed material, the UI unit 320 highlights the detected abnormality on the scanned image with a dotted line frame or colored frame, and also displays the type of abnormality detected (dot or streak) and location information. On the other hand, if there is no abnormality in the printed material, it displays the text "No abnormality". Note that the method of displaying the inspection result by the UI unit 320 is not limited to these, and any method that clearly displays the detection result to the user is acceptable.

[0056] Furthermore, the inspection processing unit 305 transmits the inspection results obtained in S1003 to the image forming apparatus 100 and the finisher 120. The information transmitted to the image forming apparatus 100 is that a certain number of defective printed materials occurred consecutively. The information transmitted to the finisher 120 is whether or not there was a defect in the printed material. As mentioned above, when the image forming apparatus 100 receives the above information, it stops printing. The finisher 120 also uses the received information to eject printed materials without defects to the normal output tray, and printed materials with defects to a tray separate from the normal output tray. This concludes the explanation of the operation of the inspection apparatus 110 after the inspection settings in S404.

[0057] <Enable / Disable Toggle Process> Next, referring to Figure 6, the processing procedure for enabling or disabling the UI settings that are called each time the user operates the UI when configuring the inspection settings in S403 for the configured print image inspection and data inspection will be explained. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in ROM 304 is loaded into RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by CPU 302. By executing the processing in this flowchart, the inspection device 110 determines whether the same inspection type inspection area has been selected for both print image inspection and data inspection when one or more inspection areas are selected according to the user's operation. If the same inspection type is selected, the corresponding UI setting change is enabled, and if different inspection areas are selected, all UI setting changes are disabled. The UI screen in this case will be explained using Figures 8 and 9.

[0058] First, in S601, the CPU 302 acquires information that the UI 700 is being operated according to the user's inspection settings. Here, operation information in this embodiment refers to information regarding any of the following operations: operation of settings related to print image inspection, operation of settings related to data inspection, settings related to inspection areas, and area selection. Next, in S602, the CPU 302 determines whether the operation information acquired in S601 has selected one or more areas for print image inspection set in S502 or data inspection set in S504. If the input is anything other than the corresponding area selection, the process proceeds to S603, where the CPU 302 disables the operation of the UI for setting each inspection, and terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0059] The UI screen 800 in Figure 8 is a UI screen displayed on the UI unit 320 of the inspection device 110 at the time of setting up the inspection in S403. For UIs similar to those described in Figure 7, the same reference numerals are used and the explanation is omitted. Changes to the UI when the operation of the setting UI for each inspection is disabled are described below. Here, as an example of selecting inspection areas for different inspection types, we assume that the printed image inspection area 832 for pattern inspection, the data inspection area 830 for string inspection, and the data inspection area 834 for barcode inspection are selected simultaneously.

[0060] UI806 and 807 are UIs related to setting the level of anomalies detected during print image inspection, as shown in UI706 and UI707 in Figure 7. When the operation of the setting UI is disabled in S603, the settings for each anomaly level are displayed in gray, as in UI807, and user operation is disabled. In other words, the user cannot perform setting operations in UI807.

[0061] UI810, included in UI809, is a UI related to setting the file for the matching inspection data used in the data inspection of UI710 in Figure 7. When the operation of the setting UI is disabled in S603, the setting of the matching inspection data file is displayed in gray, as in UI810, and user operation is disabled. In other words, the user cannot perform setting operations in UI810.

[0062] UI820, included in UI809, is a UI related to setting the type of string inspection or barcode inspection for UI720 in Figure 7. When the operation of the setting UI is disabled in S603, the setting for the type of string inspection or barcode inspection is displayed in gray, as in UI820, and user operation is disabled. In other words, the user cannot perform setting operations in UI820.

[0063] UI811 and buttons 812-815 included in UI809 are the UI for setting the direction in which text and barcodes are read when performing data inspection with UI711 in Figure 7, and the direction setting buttons 712-715 for setting that direction. When the operation of the setting UI is disabled in S603, the direction setting buttons 811-815 are displayed grayed out, and user operation is disabled. In other words, the user cannot perform setting operations on UI811. Once user operation regarding the inspection setting UI is disabled in S603, the UI setting enable / disable switching process in Figure 6 is terminated.

[0064] In this embodiment, the disabling process in S603 disables all UI setting changes related to inspection settings, but this is not limited to this embodiment; only specific settings may be disabled. For example, UIs 806 and 807, which set the abnormality level detected by print image inspection, should adjust a common level for all areas rather than adjusting each area individually. In that case, the setting changes may be accepted without being displayed in gray. Furthermore, although user operations are disabled for the inspection setting UI, operations related to the selected multiple areas (for example, operations related to inspection areas such as moving, deleting, or duplicating areas) may be accepted.

[0065] On the other hand, if S602 determines that it is an input for area selection, in S604 the CPU302 obtains the inspection type of one inspection area selected from the operation information obtained in S601. Next, in S605 the CPU302 determines whether all the inspection types of the inspection areas obtained in S604 are of the same type. If there are different inspection types, the process proceeds to S603, where the CPU302 executes a process to disable the operation of the UI for setting each inspection, and terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined in S605 that all inspection types are the same, the process proceeds to S606, where CPU302 determines whether all selected inspection areas have been checked in S604. If all selected inspection areas have not been checked, the process returns to S604 and is repeated until all inspection areas have been checked. If all selected inspection areas have been checked, the process proceeds to S607, where CPU302 executes a process to enable the operation of the inspection setting UI corresponding to the same selected inspection type, and the process of this flowchart ends.

[0067] The UI screen 900 in Figure 9 is the UI screen displayed on the UI unit 320 of the inspection device 110 at the time of setting up the inspection in S403. For UIs similar to those described in Figure 7, the same reference numerals are used and the explanation is omitted. In the UI screen 900, all selected inspection areas are set to string inspection. Here, we will explain the changes to the UI when the operation of the UI for setting string inspection is enabled. In Figure 9, data inspection areas 930 and 931 for inspecting strings are selected simultaneously. At this time, we will explain an example in which the setting UI related to string inspection is enabled and the setting UI related to other inspection types (print image inspection, barcode inspection) is disabled.

[0068] As shown in Figure 11, a table may be used that pre-defines the enable / disable status for each setting item of the inspection UI, depending on the selected inspection type. For example, if string inspection is selected for all inspection areas, the UI settings linked to the corresponding ID will be configured so that the matching data setting, glyph font setting, and angle setting are enabled, while the anomaly detection level setting and barcode type setting are disabled.

[0069] UI906 and 907 in Figure 9 are similar to UI706 and 707 in Figure 7, and are UIs for setting the level of anomalies detected by print image inspection. If the operation of the setting UI is disabled in S603, the settings for each anomaly level will be displayed in gray, as in UI907, and user operation will be disabled. UI910 in Figure 9 is similar to UI710 in Figure 7, and is a UI related to setting the file of matching inspection data used for data inspection. In S603, to enable the operation of the setting UI, the user will be able to set the file of matching inspection data, as in UI910. UI920 in Figure 9 is similar to UI720 in Figure 7, and is a UI related to setting the type of string inspection or barcode inspection. If the operation of the setting UI is enabled in S603, the user will be able to set the type of string inspection or barcode inspection, as in UI920.

[0070] The UI911 and buttons 912-915 in Figure 9 are the same as UI711 in Figure 7, and are the UI for setting the direction in which to read strings and barcodes when performing data inspection, and the direction setting buttons 712-715 for setting that direction. When the operation of the setting UI is enabled in S603, the user is allowed to set the direction setting buttons, such as buttons 912-915. In S607, when the CPU302 enables user operation regarding the inspection setting UI for the selected inspection type, it terminates the processing of the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0071] In this embodiment, the disabling process in S603 disables all UI setting changes related to inspection settings. However, this is not limited to this embodiment; only specific settings may be disabled. For example, UIs 706 and 707, which set the abnormality level detected by the print image inspection in Figure 7, may accept setting changes without being displayed in gray if the level setting is common to all areas without changing the setting for each area. Similarly, UI 710, which sets the matching data in Figure 7, may accept setting changes without being displayed in gray if the matching data is shared to all areas without changing the setting for each area. Furthermore, this document describes disabling settings related to other inspections, print image inspection and barcode inspection, when text inspection is selected. Similarly, settings related to other inspections, namely text inspection and barcode inspection, may be disabled when print image inspection is selected, and settings related to other inspections, namely print image inspection and text inspection, may be disabled when barcode inspection is selected.

[0072] As described above, the inspection device according to this embodiment reads an image formed on a printed material to generate a reference image to be inspected, and identifies and displays selectable regions containing objects within the reference image. Furthermore, the inspection device sets inspection conditions for multiple regions selected by the user via the displayed reference image. In addition, if the multiple regions selected by the user each contain different regions containing objects of different inspection types, the inspection device disables the setting of inspection conditions. On the other hand, if the multiple regions selected by the user do not contain the above-mentioned different regions, the inspection device enables the setting of inspection conditions. This makes it possible to achieve efficient settings by setting the necessary settings information for inspection all at once when the user has selected multiple identical inspection types in print image inspection or data inspection. On the other hand, if regions with different inspection types are selected, conflicting settings can be restricted.

[0073] <Second Embodiment> The following describes a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, a method for setting the necessary settings information for inspection in bulk when the user has selected multiple identical inspection types in print image inspection or data inspection was described. In this embodiment, an example of confirming whether changes can be made when performing bulk settings will be described. Here, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly explained. In this embodiment, the user selects either data inspection area 930 or 931 for inspecting a string, and the UI as shown in Figure 9 is displayed by the processing in S607 of Figure 6.

[0074] In the UI screen 900 of Figure 9, if all selected inspection areas are set to string inspection, it is possible to change the matching data settings and the glyph font settings. If a glyph font different from the one previously set by the user is selected, the UI screen 1200 of Figure 12 is displayed. The UI screen 1200 of Figure 12 is the UI screen displayed on the UI unit 320 of the inspection device 110 when a glyph font different from the previously set one is selected. The UI screen 1200 displays a message asking whether it is OK to change the settings that have been set in bulk.

[0075] Button 1201 is for saving the batch-changed values ​​to the corresponding settings of the inspection area. Button 1202 is for interrupting the batch change. When button 1202 is pressed by the user, the information being set in the batch is discarded, and the display switches to the settings before the batch change. This embodiment is not limited to this one; any method is acceptable as long as it confirms whether it is OK to change the batch-set settings and decides whether or not to change them based on the confirmation result.

[0076] As described above, according to this embodiment, when setting inspection conditions for multiple areas selected by the user via a reference image in a batch, the user is asked to confirm whether to set the conditions in a batch. In this way, when the user has selected multiple identical inspection types in print image inspection or data inspection, it is possible to confirm whether changes can be made when setting the necessary settings information in a batch. This prevents accidental batch settings from being made.

[0077] <Third Embodiment> The following describes a third embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, a method for setting the necessary settings information for inspection in bulk when the user has selected multiple identical inspection types in print image inspection or data inspection was described. In this embodiment, the operation when the user is making settings related to inspection in the inspection settings of S403 and the setting UI corresponding to the inspection type of the inspection area selected by the user is enabled will be described. Here, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly explained.

[0078] Referring to Figure 13, the procedure for enabling and disabling the UI settings that the user calls each time the user operates the screen when setting up the inspection of S403 in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the setting UI corresponding to the inspection type of the inspection area selected by the user is enabled. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in ROM 304 is loaded into RAM 303 and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by CPU 302.

[0079] First, in S1301, the CPU302 obtains information that the UI700 is being operated according to the user's inspection settings. Next, in S1302, the CPU302 disables the operation of each inspection setting UI. In this way, the process of disabling the operation of each setting UI is executed first, and then the corresponding setting UI is enabled according to the user's area selection. After that, in S1303, the CPU302 determines whether the operation information obtained in S1301 has selected one or more areas from the print image inspection area set in S502 or the data inspection area set in S504. If the input is not the corresponding area selection, the process of this flowchart is terminated.

[0080] On the other hand, if the input in S1303 is for selecting a corresponding area, in S1304 the CPU 302 obtains the inspection type of one inspection area selected from the operation information obtained in S1301. Subsequently, in S1305 the CPU 302 executes a process to enable the operation of the inspection setting UI corresponding to the inspection type obtained in S1304. Specifically, as already explained using Figure 11, the CPU 302 sets the UI according to the pre-prepared setting conditions. For example, if string inspection is selected for all inspection areas, it controls the system to enable the matching data setting, glyph font setting, and angle setting. If an inspection type different from the inspection type already confirmed in S1304 is obtained, the process in S1305 to enable the UI for that inspection type may be skipped and the process may proceed to S1306. Alternatively, all setting UIs may be disabled when a different inspection type is obtained. If they are not disabled, the user may be warned by voice or display when an area of ​​a different inspection type is selected. This prevents the activation of the settings UI when a different inspection type area is selected, thus achieving the same effect as in the first embodiment described above.

[0081] Next, in S1306, CPU302 determines whether all of the selected inspection areas were checked in S1304. If not all of the selected inspection areas have been checked, CPU302 returns to S1304 and repeats the process until all of the inspection areas have been checked. Once all of the selected inspection areas have been checked, the process in this flowchart ends.

[0082] As described above, according to this embodiment, the inspection device reads an image formed on a printed material to generate a reference image of the object to be inspected, and identifies and displays selectable regions containing objects within the reference image. The inspection device also sets inspection conditions for multiple regions selected by the user via the displayed reference image. Furthermore, the inspection device disables all inspection condition settings before the user selects a region, and when the user selects a region, it enables the settings of inspection conditions corresponding to the inspection type of the selected region. This allows the user to enable the setting UI corresponding to the inspection type of the selected inspection region, while other setting UIs remain disabled. Therefore, the user can dynamically enable the setting UI according to their region selection, providing a more user-friendly operating system.

[0083] <Fourth Embodiment> The following describes a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, a method for setting the necessary settings information for inspection in bulk when the user has selected multiple identical inspection types in the print image inspection or data inspection settings was described. In this embodiment, when the user is making inspection-related settings in the inspection settings of S403, the system analyzes the attributes of the inspection area from the image of the inspection area set by the user, and if all attributes are the same, it activates the setting change of the UI for inspection settings. Here, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly explained.

[0084] Referring to Figure 14, the procedure for enabling or disabling the UI settings that the user calls each time the user operates the screen when setting up the inspection of S403 in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the attributes of the inspection area are analyzed from the image of the inspection area set by the user, and if all attributes are the same, the setting UI corresponding to the analyzed attributes is enabled. The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in ROM 304 is loaded into RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by CPU 302.

[0085] First, in S1401, the CPU 302 obtains information on the operation of the UI 700 according to the user's inspection settings. Next, in S1402, the CPU 302 determines whether the operation information obtained in S1401 has selected one or more areas from the print image inspection area set in S502 or the data inspection area set in S504. If the input is not a selection of the corresponding area, the process proceeds to S1403, where the CPU 302 executes a process to disable the operation of the UI for setting each inspection, and terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0086] On the other hand, if S1402 determines that a region selection has been made, the process proceeds to S1404, where the CPU 302 extracts an image of one inspection region from among those selected based on the operation information acquired in S1401. Subsequently, in S1405, the CPU 302 analyzes the image of the selected region extracted in S1404 and determines the type of object (photo region / text region / barcode region). Details of the object analysis in this embodiment will be described later.

[0087] Next, in S1406, CPU302 determines whether all the objects analyzed in S1405 are of the same type. If different object types are included, the process proceeds to S1403, where CPU302 disables the operation of the UI for setting each inspection and terminates the process of this flowchart. On the other hand, if all objects in S1406 are of the same type, the process proceeds to S1407, where CPU302 determines whether all of the selected inspection areas were analyzed in S1405. If not all of the selected inspection areas have been analyzed, the process returns to S1404 and repeats until all inspection areas have been analyzed.

[0088] On the other hand, if all selected inspection areas are analyzed, the process proceeds to S1408, where CPU302 activates the operation of the inspection setting UI corresponding to the selected object type, and terminates the processing of this flowchart. Note that if an area is analyzed as a photograph, the inspection type will be printed image inspection; if an area is analyzed as a text area, the inspection type will be string inspection; and if an area is analyzed as a barcode area, the inspection type will be barcode inspection.

[0089] <Object Analysis> Next, referring to Figure 15, we will explain the processing procedure for performing object analysis on the image of the extracted inspection area in S1405 and determining the type of object (photo area / text area / barcode area). The processing of the inspection device 110 described below is executed when the program code stored in the ROM 304 is loaded into the RAM 303, and the inspection control unit 300 is controlled by the CPU 302.

[0090] First, in S1501, CPU302 performs block selection processing (hereinafter referred to as BS processing) on ​​the image of the selected region extracted in S1404. BS processing is a process that divides the region within the image into object blocks and determines the attributes of each block.

[0091] Figure 16 shows a specific example of BS processing. 1600 is an example of a scanned image read by S401. 1610 shows the scanned image 1600 divided into object blocks. In 1610, attributes such as text, pictures, photographs, lines, and tables are determined for each block, and the image is shown divided into areas with different attributes.

[0092] Here, we will explain the detailed method of block selection processing. First, the CPU 302 binarizes the scanned image into grayscale. Next, the CPU 302 performs contour tracing to extract the shape of contours from the binary image and extracts clusters of pixels surrounded by black pixel contours. For clusters of black pixels with an area larger than a predetermined area, the CPU 302 also performs contour tracing on the white pixels inside to extract clusters of white pixels, and then recursively extracts clusters of black pixels from within clusters of white pixels with an area larger than a certain size.

[0093] The CPU 302 classifies the resulting black pixel clusters by size and shape, and then categorizes them into regions with different attributes. For example, pixel clusters with an aspect ratio close to 1 and within a certain size range are considered character-like. Furthermore, areas where adjacent characters can be neatly grouped are designated as character regions (TEXT). Flat pixel clusters are designated as line regions (LINE). Areas occupied by black pixel clusters that are above a certain size and neatly contain rectangular white pixel clusters are designated as table regions (TABLE). Areas where irregularly shaped pixel clusters are scattered are designated as photograph regions (PHOTO). Finally, pixel clusters of any other arbitrary shape are designated as picture regions (PICTURE). Note that in this embodiment, BS processing is performed on the image of the selected region extracted in S1404, so only one region is determined. When the print image inspection areas 732 and 733 shown in Figure 7 are subjected to BS processing, they are determined to have the PICTURE attribute, while the data inspection areas 730 and 731 for inspecting text strings and the data inspection areas 734 and 735 for inspecting barcodes are determined to have the TEXT attribute.

[0094] Return to the description of FIG. 15. Next, at S1502, the CPU 302 checks the attributes of the BS analyzed at S1501 to check whether the TEXT attribute has been detected. If the TEXT attribute has not been detected, the process proceeds to S1508, where the CPU 302 determines the selected area extracted at S1404 as a photo area and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0095] On the other hand, if the TEXT attribute is detected at S1502, the process proceeds to S1503, where the CPU 302 obtains a projection histogram of the luminance values of pixels in the horizontal direction for the image of the TEXT attribute area analyzed at S1501. Further, at S1504, the CPU 302 obtains a projection histogram of the luminance values of pixels in the vertical direction. The method for obtaining the projection histogram in this embodiment will be described later.

[0096] Next, at S1505, the CPU 302 obtains the variances of the projection histograms in the horizontal and vertical directions obtained at S1503 and S1504, and determines whether the difference between the variances obtained respectively is greater than or equal to a threshold value. If the difference between the variances is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the process proceeds to S1506, where the CPU 302 determines the selected area extracted at S1404 as a barcode area and ends the processing of this flowchart. On the other hand, if the difference between the variances is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to S1507, where the CPU 302 determines the selected area extracted at S1404 as a character area and ends the processing of this flowchart. The method for determining whether it is a barcode area or a character area from the projection histogram of S1504 in this embodiment will be described later.

[0097] <Determination method of TEXT attribute> Referring to FIG. 17, a method for obtaining a projection histogram for the TEXT attribute according to this embodiment and determining whether it is a barcode area or a character area will be described. FIG. 17(a) shows a method for determining a barcode area, and FIG. 17(b) shows a method for determining a character area.

[0098] Figure 17(a), 1701, shows a group of pixels within the data inspection area 734 for barcode inspection. Graph 1702 shows the result of integrating the luminance values ​​horizontally for this group of pixels, and graph 1703 shows the result of integrating the luminance values ​​vertically. The luminance values ​​are obtained using, for example, the average value of each RGB signal value. If 1701 is a group of pixels with, for example, 50 pixels vertically and 100 pixels horizontally, the integrated luminance value of the pixels in the rightmost column will be as shown in 1704. If the luminance value of all pixels in the rightmost column is 255, the integrated value will be 255 × 50 = 12750. Since 1701 has 100 pixels horizontally, 100 of these integrated values ​​will be obtained. Similarly, 50 integrated values ​​will be obtained vertically.

[0099] Next, in S1505, the CPU 302 obtains the variance of the histograms in the horizontal and vertical directions for each line drawing region, and determines whether the difference between the horizontal and vertical variances is greater than or equal to a threshold. If it is greater than or equal to the threshold, it is determined to be a barcode region; otherwise, it is determined to be a character region. In this embodiment, the method for obtaining the variance is to use the average value of the cumulative values ​​in the vertical and horizontal directions, and then divide the sum of the squares of the differences between each cumulative value by the number of cumulative values. However, this is not the only method; for example, the standard deviation obtained using the sum instead of the sum of squares may also be used.

[0100] Next, the CPU 302 obtains the absolute value of the difference between the horizontal and vertical variances obtained by the above method, and determines whether this value is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, the horizontal variance for a pixel group of 1701 will be high, so let's assume it is 250. The vertical variance will be low, so let's assume it is 10. The threshold depends on the magnitude of the brightness value, so for example, before obtaining the difference, we normalize it by dividing by the maximum possible brightness value of the reference image (255 in this embodiment). Then, the horizontal variance becomes 0.98 and the vertical variance becomes 0.04. Therefore, if the threshold is 0.5, the difference in the above variances will be 0.94, which exceeds the threshold, so in S1506 the CPU 302 determines that it is a barcode area. In this embodiment, the determination was made by the difference in variances, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the difference in standard deviations may be used.

[0101] On the other hand, 1705 in Figure 17(b) shows a group of pixels within the data inspection area 731 for character inspection. In the case of a pixel group like 1705, graph 1706 shows the result of integrating the brightness values ​​horizontally, and graph 1707 shows the result of integrating the brightness values ​​vertically. In such graphs, the variance is high in both the horizontal and vertical directions. For example, suppose the horizontal variance of the pixel group 1705 is 200 and the vertical variance is 170. After normalization, the horizontal variance becomes 0.78 and the vertical variance becomes 0.67. In this case, the difference is 0.11, which does not exceed the threshold, so it is determined to be a character area in S1507.

[0102] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, the inspection device further extracts an image of a user-selected area from a reference image and analyzes the objects contained in the extracted image. The inspection device also controls the setting of inspection conditions to enable or disable based on the inspection type of the analyzed object. In this way, the device analyzes the attributes of the area from the image of the inspection area set by the user, and if all attributes are the same, it can enable the setting change of the UI for inspection settings.

[0103] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0104] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 100: Image forming machine, 110: Inspection machine, 120: Finisher, 130: Client PC, 140: Print server, 150: Network

Claims

1. Inspection device, A reading means that reads an image formed on a printed material and generates a reference image to be inspected, A display means that identifies and selects regions containing objects within the aforementioned reference image, A setting means for setting inspection conditions for multiple regions selected by the user via the reference image displayed on the display means, A control means which disables the batch setting of inspection conditions by the setting means if the multiple areas selected by the user each contain different areas containing objects of different inspection types, and enables the batch setting of inspection conditions by the setting means if the multiple areas selected by the user do not contain the different areas. An inspection device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the inspection type includes at least a print image inspection of a predetermined area in the reference image and a data inspection of a predetermined area.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the data inspection includes at least a string inspection for inspecting strings and a barcode inspection for inspecting barcode values.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the inspection conditions set by the setting means include at least one of: setting a level for detecting abnormalities in the print image inspection; setting matching data to be compared with extracted values ​​in the data inspection; setting the type of data inspection; and setting the direction of the selected area for the data inspection.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the setting of the type of data inspection includes at least one of the setting of a font for OCR processing in the string inspection and the setting of the type of barcode in the barcode inspection.

6. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the control means disables all settings of the inspection conditions when the plurality of regions include a region for performing the print image inspection and a region for performing the data inspection.

7. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control means enables the setting of the inspection conditions related to the inspection type and disables the setting of the inspection conditions related to other inspection types when the plurality of areas include an area of ​​the same inspection type.

8. The system further includes a storage means that stores a table defining information that enables and disables each setting item of the inspection conditions according to the type of inspection, The inspection apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the control means switches between enabling and disabling each setting item of the inspection conditions according to the table stored in the storage means.

9. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control means disables the setting of the inspection conditions by displaying the setting items in gray and preventing them from being selected.

10. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an inspection means that performs inspection using an inspection image of a printed material to be inspected read by the reading means, inspection conditions set by the setting means, and the reference image.

11. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the setting means confirms with the user whether to set the inspection conditions for a plurality of regions selected by the user via the reference image all at once.

12. Extraction means for extracting an image of a region selected by the user from the reference image, Object analysis means for analyzing objects contained in the image extracted by the extraction means, Furthermore, The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the control means controls the setting of the inspection conditions to enable or disable based on the type of inspection of the object analyzed by the object analysis means.

13. The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the object analysis means obtains projection histograms of the luminance values ​​of pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions of the extracted image, and analyzes whether the extracted image is a photographic area, a character area, or a barcode area according to the difference in the variances of those projection histograms.

14. Inspection device, A reading means that reads an image formed on a printed material and generates a reference image to be inspected, A display means that identifies and selects regions containing objects within the aforementioned reference image, A setting means for setting inspection conditions for multiple regions selected by the user via the reference image displayed on the display means, A control means that disables all settings of the inspection conditions before the user selects an area, and when the user selects an area, enables the settings of the inspection conditions corresponding to the inspection type of the selected area. An inspection device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

15. The inspection apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that when the user selects an area corresponding to a different inspection type from the inspection condition settings that have already been activated, the control means either disables the inspection condition settings that have already been activated or outputs a warning to the user to that effect.

Images