Imaging Control for Printing Systems With Stable Test-Pattern Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing apparatuses without scanners face challenges in adjusting printing characteristics due to improper imaging of test patterns, and even with scanners, users may not know how to correctly adjust these characteristics, leading to issues like unintended imaging ranges and blurred images.
Innovation Solution
An imaging control program and system that utilize an information terminal with an imaging section to determine and satisfy specific imaging conditions, ensuring the test pattern is properly captured by adjusting for positional relationships, viewing angles, and environmental factors to produce a clear image for accurate printing adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user holds a camera-equipped mobile terminal with their hand to image a test pattern, then the imaging operation can be performed, but the test pattern is not properly imaged due to unintended imaging ranges and blurred images
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the imaging section capture a plurality of images at different positions before the actual measurement. The control section then determines the relative positional relationship between the imaging section and medium based on these preliminary images, and uses this information to calculate the correct imaging position and focus, ensuring proper imaging of the test pattern without requiring manual adjustment by the user.
2Productivity
If the imaging section captures images without determining relative positional relationship, then imaging can be performed quickly, but image blurring occurs due to improper positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures multiple preliminary images at different positions before the final measurement image is taken. This preliminary action allows the control section to determine the relative positional relationship and calculate the correct imaging parameters, ensuring that the final image is clear and not blurred, while still maintaining efficient imaging throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The control section uses the preliminary images to determine the relative positional relationship between the imaging section and the medium, then uses this feedback information to adjust the imaging parameters for the final measurement image. This feedback mechanism ensures image clarity by correcting positioning issues before the actual measurement is taken.
3Measurement precision
If multiple images are captured for position determination, then imaging accuracy is improved, but memory usage increases due to unnecessary image storage
Solution Approach 1:
The control section extracts only the necessary information from the captured images to determine the relative positional relationship. Instead of storing and processing all captured images for final measurement, the system extracts position information from the preliminary images, calculates the correct imaging parameters, and then performs the final measurement. This extraction approach reduces memory usage while maintaining imaging accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system captures a limited number of preliminary images at different positions, which is enough to determine the relative positional relationship but not excessive. The control section uses these partial images to calculate the necessary imaging parameters, avoiding the need to store and process all possible images, thus optimizing memory usage while ensuring sufficient accuracy.
4Ease of operation
If the imaging section is positioned manually by the user, then the imaging operation is simple, but the imaging condition is not satisfied leading to blurred images
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically determining the relative positional relationship between the imaging section and the medium using captured images. The control section processes these images to calculate the correct imaging position and focus parameters, eliminating the need for manual positioning by the user. This self-service approach ensures that imaging conditions are reliably satisfied while maintaining operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging control program causes a computer to realize a determination function of determining whether an imaging condition that causes an imaging section to image an imaging target region including a test pattern is satisfied, and an imaging control function of acquiring a captured image by causing the imaging section to image the imaging target region in response to a trigger that is satisfaction of the imaging condition. The determination function repeatedly acquires the amount of a change in the relative positional relationship between the imaging section and the medium. The imaging condition includes at least first and second conditions to be satisfied, the first condition being a condition that the imaging target region falls within the viewing angle of the imaging section, the second condition being a condition that the acquired amount of the change is smaller than or equal to a reference amount of the change. The determination function determines whether the first condition is satisfied based on frames repeatedly acquired from the imaging section, and determines whether the second condition is satisfied based on the acquired amount of the change.