Image Forming Apparatus Reading Device Defect Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In printing systems, it is challenging to determine whether defects in printed matter are caused by the printing process or by dirt in the reading device, leading to unnecessary cleaning and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
The system detects defects in the reading device without actually reading printed matter, sets an inspection exclusion area around the detected defect, and generates an image to inspect without sheet passing, allowing for differentiation between reading and printing defects, thereby avoiding unnecessary cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the reading device is cleaned frequently to remove dirt, then the inspection accuracy is improved, but the productivity is reduced due to unnecessary cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the reading device's inspection exclusion area by capturing an image without a sheet before actual printing occurs. This allows the system to pre-identify and mark areas where the reading device may have defects, so that during actual printing inspections, these areas are automatically excluded from defect detection. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary cleaning operations while maintaining inspection accuracy in affected areas.
2Measurement precision
If defects are detected in the reading device, then the inspection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional detection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The reading device is designed to serve multiple functions: it not only reads printed matter during normal printing operations but also captures images for defect detection purposes by reading a predetermined plane without a sheet. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware to perform both reading and self-inspection tasks, eliminating the need for separate detection mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high inspection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a reading device to read a printed matter, and circuitry to generate a first image to be inspected from the printed matter, detect a defect on the printed matter based on a master image generated from print data of the printed matter and the first image, detect a defect on a second image to be inspected generated by the reading device without a sheet being passed, set an inspection exclusion area where a defect is not to be detected on the first image, the inspection exclusion area including a position of the defect detected on the second image, and display a position of the defect on the printed matter in a different manner based on a determination result indicating whether the defect on the printed matter is detected in the inspection exclusion area or in an area other than the inspection exclusion area.