Image Inspection Apparatus Dual Mode Reference Registration

The patent applies preliminary action by generating the reference image in advance based on the document image before the inspection image formation starts. The reference image generation unit creates the reference image from the document image during the image forming process, so that when the inspection is needed, the reference image is already prepared and stored in the storage unit, eliminating the need to wait for reference image generation at the time of inspection.

The patent segments the inspection system into distinct functional units: a reference image generation unit that creates reference images from document images, a storage unit that stores both document images and generated reference images, and an inspection unit that performs comparisons. This segmentation allows parallel processing where reference image generation occurs independently during image forming, while inspection can proceed separately when needed.

The patent creates a faithful copy of the actual printed product as the reference image. Instead of using the digital document image as reference, the system reads the actual printed product (including any additional printing) and uses this read image as the reference image for inspection. This ensures the reference perfectly matches what was actually produced, eliminating false inspection errors.

The system implements feedback by using the read image of the actual printed product as the reference for inspection. The inspection unit compares the read image against this feedback-based reference image, ensuring that the inspection criteria reflect the actual output rather than theoretical expectations from the document image.