Image Forming Apparatus Error Detection Embedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image forming apparatuses lack user-friendly methods to detect and display error information, such as stains, color shifts, and position shifts, in a form that is easily confirmable for both text and graphic images, requiring dedicated applications and not providing comprehensive detection details.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit, an image reading unit, an image inspecting unit, and a history generating unit, which detects errors and embeds detection information, including error names, types, and levels, into the scan image as embedded text or images, making it easy to confirm errors within the image itself.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated application is used to calculate and display the difference between scan image and normal image, then error detection capability is improved, but user-friendliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus automatically performs error detection by comparing the scan image with the normal image and generates detection information without requiring user intervention or dedicated applications. The system serves itself by embedding the detection results directly into the history image, eliminating the need for users to operate complex dedicated software.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses PDF format as an intermediary that bridges the gap between technical error detection and user-friendly viewing. By embedding detection information within the standard PDF history image, the system allows general PDF readers to display error information without requiring dedicated applications, thus mediating between technical capability and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If detection information is embedded in the scan image, then ease of confirmation is improved, but image quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The detection information is embedded locally at the positions where errors are detected in the scan image. This localized embedding ensures that error information is provided exactly where needed without degrading the overall image quality. The embedding process maintains the original image characteristics while adding targeted information layers.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image reading unit, an image inspecting unit and a history generating unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The image reading unit reads a sheet face on which the image is formed, thereby generating a scan image. The image inspecting unit compares the generated scan image with a normal image to detect an error in the scan image. When the image inspecting unit detects the error, the history generating unit generates detection information on the detected error and embeds the generated detection information in the scan image, thereby generating a history image.