Smudge Inspection Apparatus Position Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smudge inspection methods for printed materials face accuracy issues due to positional shifts between reference and inspection images, particularly for small elements like characters, leading to false smudge detection and reduced inspection accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An inspection apparatus that performs position adjustment between reference and inspection images, generates a difference image to detect smudge candidate regions, and determines whether these regions are false positives due to positional shifts by analyzing difference data characteristics, such as symmetric properties in the difference image profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If position adjustment is performed on the entire image divided into blocks, then meandering of printed material during conveyance can be coped with, but positional shift of small elements like characters cannot be completely eliminated and false smudge detection occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing into multiple stages: first performing block-level position adjustment to handle overall meandering, then performing character-level position adjustment to handle local shifts of small elements like characters. This multi-level segmentation allows the system to address both global and local positional deviations independently, resolving the contradiction between handling material meandering and maintaining precision for small elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic position adjustment by detecting positional shifts at different scales (block level and character level) and applying corrections adaptively. The system dynamically determines adjustment parameters based on the detected shift characteristics, allowing the position adjustment to be flexible and precise for varying conditions rather than using a fixed adjustment method.
2Reliability
If manual position correction is performed, then positional shift can be addressed, but it depends on conveyance speed and material inclination making it difficult for users to perform correction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having the inspection apparatus automatically detect positional shifts and perform position adjustment without requiring user intervention. The system autonomously processes the image data, identifies shifts in block and character positions, and applies corrections automatically, eliminating the need for users to manually correct positioning issues regardless of conveyance conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors the position of blocks and characters in the inspection image, compares them against reference positions, and automatically adjusts the image alignment based on detected deviations. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to adapt to varying conveyance speeds and material inclinations without user input.
3Reliability
If strict position adjustment is performed, then inspection accuracy can be maintained, but the complexity and time required for processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the position adjustment process into distinct stages: block-level adjustment to handle overall image alignment, followed by character-level adjustment for fine-tuning small elements. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high inspection accuracy through a structured, manageable process rather than a single complex adjustment operation, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an inspection apparatus that inspects a printed material for a smudge, in accordance with an inspection image formed by reading a printed material, a print image being formed on the printed material, the inspection apparatus including: a hardware processor that: performs position adjustment between a reference image serving as an inspection standard for the print image, and the inspection image; detects a region presumed to be a smudge on the printed material as a smudge candidate region, in accordance with a difference image generated from the reference image and the inspection image after the position adjustment; and determines whether the smudge candidate region is a false smudge candidate region resulting from a positional shift of an object in the print image, in accordance with the smudge candidate region detected by the hardware processor and difference data characteristics of the difference image.