Intermediate Transfer Belt Defect Detection via Background Pattern Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing belt examination systems face challenges in accurately detecting belt defects on intermediate transfer belts due to interference from texture-pattern like background noise and other noise components, which affects the quality of image analysis and defect detection.
Innovation Solution
A belt examination system that includes a defect candidate detecting processor which executes a background pattern reduction step to replace specific color values and remove noise, allowing for more accurate detection of belt defects by enhancing image clarity and reducing noise interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If optical reading is performed on the intermediate transfer belt surface to detect belt defects, then automatic defect detection is achieved, but texture-pattern like background noise interferes with detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing background pattern reduction before defect detection. The system pre-processes the belt image to remove texture-pattern like background noise, replacing background color values with averaged values from surrounding areas. This preliminary processing step eliminates noise interference before the actual defect detection algorithm is applied, thereby improving detection accuracy while maintaining automation.
2Measurement precision
If background pattern reduction is performed by replacing color values, then noise interference is reduced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing background pattern reduction locally at each pixel position rather than applying a global transformation. For each pixel, the system determines whether it belongs to background or defect based on local color value characteristics, and selectively replaces only background pixel values. This localized approach reduces noise interference effectively while keeping processing complexity manageable by focusing computations only where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt examination system includes a defect candidate detecting processor that detects a candidate for a belt defect that is an abnormal portion of an intermediate transfer belt of an image forming apparatus from a belt image that is an image of the intermediate transfer belt, the defect candidate detecting processor executes a background pattern reduction step to reduce a texture-pattern like background noise present in the belt image and detects the candidate based on the belt image generated during the background pattern reduction step, and the background pattern reduction step is to replace, in the belt image, a color value within a specific range of color values not including a lowest color value of the belt defect with a specific color value within the specific range.