JP2025158130A - Image inspection device, image forming system, image inspection method, and image inspection program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image inspection device, an image formation system, an image inspection method, and an image inspection program capable of ensuring inspection quality and at the same time preventing occurrence of unneeded error determination.SOLUTION: An image inspection device has: a display control section for displaying a first inspection area for performing inspection with a first inspection precision in a first color, displaying a second inspection area for performing inspection with a second inspection precision lower than the first inspection precision in a second color different from the first color, and displaying a third inspection area for performing inspection with a third inspection precision between the first inspection precision and the second inspection precision in a third color different from the first color and the second color; and an inspection section for inspecting the first inspection area with the first inspection precision when inspecting a read image of an image formed in a recording medium, inspecting the second inspection area with the second inspection precision, and inspecting the third inspection area with the third inspection precision. The third inspection precision can be changed within a range between the first inspection precision and the second inspection precision.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to an image inspection device, an image forming system, an image inspection method, and an image inspection program.

Conventionally, there are image forming systems that connect an electrophotographic image forming device (such as a copier, printer, facsimile, or combination machine) that forms a toner image on paper inline or integrally with an image reading device equipped with a scanner or the like.

Here, the image reading device reads the output (i.e., the image on paper; the same applies below) produced by the image forming device using a scanner or the like, and functions as a post-processing device to correct the image by feeding back information on color and positional misalignment to the image forming device.

In recent years, image forming systems have been proposed that include, in addition to a system of an image forming device and an output image reading device, an in-line or integrated image inspection device (also called an automatic inspection device) that automatically inspects the image quality of the output material produced by the image forming device. In such systems, the image inspection device executes an inspection job based on inspection data (inspection image data) and performs inspection (inspection) to check for various abnormalities (image defects) such as fading, uneven density, and streaks in the image on the paper.

When executing an inspection job, the image inspection device acquires inspection image data, including data on a reference image (also called a correct image) that has been created or registered in advance, and an image of the actual printed output (image data read by the image reading device).

The image inspection device then compares these images to determine whether there are any image defects in the image actually printed on paper, and inspects the quality of the image. This image forming system can automatically inspect (quality-check) whether the output (image on paper) produced by the image forming device is printed to the quality desired by the customer.

Furthermore, in recent image forming systems, coating materials such as transparent UV-cured varnish are applied to specific locations on full-color prints to give the prints a three-dimensional or glossy appearance, or to add decorative images to the prints using the coating materials.

In one specific example, a coating image forming device that forms an image using the above-mentioned coating material is connected downstream of an image forming device that prints a full-color image on paper, forming a coated image on the paper for the full-color print. Hereinafter, for convenience, such output will be referred to as a "coated print."

Alternatively, a coating image forming unit that forms an image of a coating material is located downstream in the paper transport direction of the image forming unit of the image forming device (hereinafter referred to as the "print image forming unit" for the sake of distinction), and a coating image is formed on the paper on which the print image has been formed by the print image forming unit.

Along with these advances in printing techniques, there has also been progress in recent years in the technology for image inspection of coated images on coated printed materials (such as determining whether or not there are image defects) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Conventionally, when automatically inspecting whether the print image and coating image of a coated printed material have been printed correctly, the print image is inspected once after the print image is formed but before the coating image is formed, and then a second inspection is performed on just the coating image after the coating image is formed.

JP 2016-161469 A

On the other hand, with conventional technologies such as those described in Patent Document 1, the accuracy of image inspection of coating images tends to be high (strict) overall, and there is a problem in that even output products that appear to be fully acceptable from the perspective of both the producer and the orderer may be judged to have "image defects in the coating image" and classified as unacceptable.

The inventors conducted extensive research into the above-mentioned problems related to the inspection of coated printed materials, and came to the following conclusions.

Generally, coated images such as varnish are translucent and have a low density, so even if there are some image defects, they are often less noticeable than full-color printed images.

On the other hand, coating images in recent years are formed in various positional relationships relative to the printed image, such as completely overlapping (matching) the printed image, partially overlapping with the printed image, or being formed separately (separately) from the printed image.

Furthermore, if the coating image overlaps with the printed image, image defects in the overlapping areas of the coating image are easier to detect visually. Therefore, it is considered necessary to thoroughly inspect such overlapping areas and inspect (quality-check) the coating image with strict precision in order to ensure the quality of the image inspection and, ultimately, the quality of the printed material delivered.

Conversely, if the coating image does not overlap with the printed image, image defects in the coating image will be less noticeable. Therefore, it is considered better to inspect (check) the coating image with a relatively low level of accuracy in order to avoid unnecessary error detection and increased printing costs.

In contrast, conventional technology does not inspect (quality check) coating images based on the relationship between the formation position of the print image and the formation position of the coating image, and instead applies the same level of precision across the board, which can result in unnecessary error judgments or an inability to ensure inspection quality.

The object of the present invention is to provide an image inspection device, image forming system, image inspection method, and image inspection program that can ensure inspection quality while preventing unnecessary error judgments.

The image inspection device according to the present invention comprises:
a display control unit that displays a first inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
an inspection unit that, when inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspects the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspects the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspects the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.

The image forming system according to the present invention comprises:
a display control unit that displays a first inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
an inspection unit that, when inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspects the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspects the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspects the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.

The image inspection method according to the present invention comprises:
a step of displaying a first inspection area inspected with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area inspected with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area inspected with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
When inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspecting the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspecting the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspecting the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.

The image inspection program according to the present invention comprises:
a step of displaying a first inspection area inspected with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area inspected with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area inspected with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
When inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspecting the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspecting the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspecting the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.

This invention makes it possible to ensure inspection quality while preventing unnecessary error judgments.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a control system in the image forming system according to the present embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of an inspection job. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a specific example of a coated printed material that can be printed by the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5A shows a case where only an image of print data is formed on paper, and FIG. 5B shows a case where only an image of coating data is formed on paper. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of setting two levels of inspection accuracy for coating data images, where FIG. 6A shows an image to which a first inspection accuracy is applied, and FIG. 6B shows an image to which a second inspection accuracy is applied. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a control unit when the inspection accuracy of an image of coating data is set to three levels. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of an image inspection process for a coating image according to the present embodiment. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of setting the inspection accuracy of the coated printed matter shown in FIG. 4 to three levels, where FIG. 9A shows an image subject to the first inspection accuracy, FIG. 9B shows an image subject to the second inspection accuracy, and FIG. 9C shows an image subject to the third inspection accuracy. Figure 10A shows another specific example of a coated printed matter, Figure 10B shows a case where only the image of the print data is printed on paper, and Figure 10C shows a case where only the image of the coating data is printed on paper. Figure 11A shows yet another specific example of a coated printed matter, Figure 11B shows a case where only the image of the print data is printed on paper, and Figure 11C shows a case where only the image of the coating data is printed on paper. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration that allows a user to adjust the third inspection accuracy for the coated printed material shown in FIG. 4, and shows an example of a user setting screen displayed on the display unit. FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an outline of a process when setting up inspection.

This embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram that schematically illustrates the overall configuration of an image forming system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the main parts of a control system that explains the flow of signals between the devices that make up image forming system 1 according to this embodiment.

The image forming system 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a system that forms (outputs) an image on paper S using an image forming device 20, reads the image on paper S, and compares the read image with a reference image to inspect the quality of the image printed on paper S (whether or not there are any image defects).

Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 20 that forms a full-color print image based on print image data and a transparent or translucent varnish image (coating image) based on coating image data on paper S.

The image forming system 1 also includes a paper feeder 10 that feeds paper S to the image forming device 20, an image reading device 30 that reads the image on the paper S discharged from the image forming device 20, and a post-processing device 40 that has multiple paper discharge trays (42, 43).

In the image forming system 1, the sheet feeding device 10, the image forming device 20, the image reading device 30, and the post-processing device 40 are physically connected in this order (the device main bodies are connected to each other) from the upstream side in the transport direction of the sheet S, thereby forming a transport path P connecting these multiple devices for the sheet S. This transport path P is branched by the sorting unit 41 of the post-processing device 40 into a path _P1 connected to a lower sheet discharge tray 42 and a path _P2 connected to an upper sheet discharge tray 43.

For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 1 shows the transport path P within the image forming apparatus 20 as a single line, but an actual image forming apparatus 20 is provided with a double-sided transport path for double-sided printing. Also, for the sake of simplicity, Fig. 1 shows two paths branching into _P1 and _P2 within the post-processing apparatus 40, but more branch paths can be provided depending on the number of paper discharge trays, etc.

The paper feeder 10 can store paper S of various sizes and types. The paper feeder 10 includes a paper feed roller for feeding the stored (stacked) paper S one sheet at a time, a motor for driving the paper feed roller, and more.

This image forming device 20 is equipped with a print image forming unit 21 that forms a full-color image on paper S based on input print image data (hereinafter simply referred to as print data).

In one specific example, the print image forming unit 21 is an intermediate transfer type image forming unit that uses electrophotographic process technology. In this example, the print image forming unit 21 primarily transfers toner images of each color (Yellow, M, C, and K) formed on a photosensitive drum (not shown) onto an intermediate transfer belt (not shown), overlays the four color toner images on the intermediate transfer belt, and then secondary transfers them onto paper S, thereby forming a toner image (full-color print image).

Furthermore, downstream of the print image forming unit 21 in the transport direction of the paper S, there is a fixing unit 22 where the toner image is secondarily transferred and the transported paper S is heated and pressurized to fix the toner image to the paper S. The print image forming unit 21 and the fixing unit 22 are well-known components, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

Note that the method for forming the print image in the print image forming unit 21 is not limited to the above method, and various other methods can be applied, such as an inkjet method in which ink is ejected onto the paper S to form an image.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recording medium on which the image is formed is assumed to be paper S, i.e., paper medium, but the recording medium on which the image is formed is not limited to this, and various other sheet-like media such as cloth or plastic can also be used.

In the image forming device 20 of this embodiment, a coating image forming unit 23 is disposed downstream of the fixing unit 22 in the conveyance direction. This coating image forming unit 23 has the function of applying a translucent coating material to the paper S based on input coating image data (hereinafter simply referred to as coating data).

In one specific example, the coating image forming unit 23 forms a transparent or translucent coating image on the paper S using UV-curable varnish based on coating data that defines an image separate from the print image data. In this case, the coating image forming unit 23 includes an application unit that applies UV-curable varnish (hereinafter simply referred to as varnish) to the paper S, and a UV irradiation unit that is located downstream of the application unit and irradiates the varnish applied to the paper S with ultraviolet (UV) rays to cure the varnish.

For ease of explanation, the image formed on paper S by the print image forming unit 21 will be referred to simply as the "print image," and the image formed on paper S by the coating image forming unit 23 will be referred to as the "coating image."

The image forming device 20 is provided with an operation display unit 25 on its main body. This operation display unit 25 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch panel, and functions as a display unit 26 and an operation unit 27.

In the operation display unit 25, the display unit 26 displays various operation screens, image status, the operating status of each function, etc. in accordance with display control signals input from the control unit 200 (described below). The operation unit 27 has various operation keys (so-called hardware switches) such as a numeric keypad and a start key, and accepts various input operations by the user and outputs operation signals to the control unit 200.

The display unit 26 also displays various icons (so-called software switches) that can be selected with a cursor (pointer) or the like on various screens described below, accepts various input operations by the user, and outputs operation signals to the control unit 200.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming device 20 includes a control unit 200 that controls the entire image forming device 20. The control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, etc., and controls the operation of the print image forming unit 21 and fixing unit 22 described above, as well as the operations of each unit included in the image forming device 20.

That is, the CPU 201 of the control unit 200 reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM 202, loads it into the RAM 203, and works in conjunction with the loaded program to centrally control the operation of the print image forming unit 21, the fixing unit 22, and other blocks within the image forming device 20.

Other blocks provided in the image forming device 20 include an image processing unit that performs various corrections such as tone correction on input image data, a paper transport unit that drives multiple transport rollers that transport paper S, a communication unit that communicates with external devices via a communication network, etc., and an operation display unit that accepts user input operations and displays the device status, etc. These are well-known components, so illustrations and descriptions are omitted.

In this embodiment, the control unit 200 of the image forming device 20 controls the above-mentioned blocks and, as shown in Figure 2, communicates with the image inspection device 50 to cooperate with it in carrying out various processes that are primarily performed by the image inspection device 50.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image reading device 30 has an output image reading unit 31 that optically reads the image (toner image) on the paper S discharged from the image forming device 20. Specifically, the output image reading unit 31 optically scans the paper S, forming an image of reflected light from the paper S on the light-receiving surface of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor (not shown), reading the images on both sides of the paper S, and generating read image data based on the reading results. The read image data generated by the output image reading unit 31 is input to the image inspection device 50 (described below).

1 and 2 , the post-processing device 40 includes a transport roller that transports the sheet S whose image has been read by the image reading device 30, multiple discharge trays 42 and 43 that discharge the sheet S, and a sorting unit 41 that switches the discharge destination (conveyance route) of the sheet S. For simplicity, FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration including two discharge trays 42 and 43, but the number of discharge trays is arbitrary, and more discharge trays may be provided. The sorting unit 41 includes a switching gate that switches the discharge destination (conveyance route) of the sheet S between path _P1 and path _P2 , a drive source such as a solenoid that drives the switching gate, an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the image forming device 20 and the image inspection device 50, and the like.

In addition, the post-processing device 40 can be equipped with various additional functions depending on the application, such as a cutter to cut the sheets S, a stapler to staple the sheets S, and a folding mechanism to fold the sheets S. Because these additional functions are well-known, they will not be illustrated or described here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming system 1 includes an image inspection device 50 that inspects the quality of the output image formed (output) on the paper S (whether or not there are any image defects) based on the scanned image data generated by the image reading device 30.

This image inspection device 50 is equipped with a hardware processor such as a CPU, ROM, and a data storage unit 51 (described later), and the CPU reads and executes a program stored in the ROM to perform a job (hereinafter referred to as an "inspection job") that inspects the quality of the output image (presence or absence of image defects).

In this embodiment, the image inspection device 50 has the function of generating and registering a reference image (sometimes called a correct image) to be compared when performing image inspection, based on the scanned image generated by the image reading device 30.

The image inspection device 50 also has the function of dividing the inspection target area (a two-dimensional coordinate area on the paper) to be subjected to image inspection for the registered reference image into predetermined area or pixel units, and setting the inspection accuracy (level) of the image inspection for each divided area.

For this reason, the image inspection device 50 functions as a "setting unit" that sets the above-mentioned inspection accuracy (level), and also functions as a "detection unit" (described below).

The image inspection device 50 functions as an "image inspection unit" that compares the scanned image generated by the image reading device 30 with a reference image to inspect for image defects. Details of each of these functions of the image inspection device 50 will be described later.

The image inspection device 50 can be physically incorporated into the housing of, for example, the image reading device 30, the post-processing device 40, or the image forming device 20, or it can be configured as a device that is physically independent from these devices. In the example shown in Figure 2, the image inspection device 50 is the latter, i.e., a physically independent device, and is configured to be electrically connected to the control unit 200 (described below) of the image forming device 20.

As shown in Figure 2, the image forming system 1 also includes a PC 60 that outputs print image data and image forming conditions for the print image (various user settings such as the number of pages of the print, whether double-sided or single-sided printing, and the number of copies to be printed).

In this example, the coating image is formed by the coating image forming unit 23, so the coating image data and the image forming conditions for the coating image are also output from the PC 60.

Hereinafter, the various data described above output from PC 60 will be collectively referred to as "reference data."

In the example shown in Figure 2, the PC 60 supplies reference data to both the image forming device 20 (controller 200) and the image inspection device 50. As another example, a relay device may be provided that branches the reference data sent from the PC 60 into two and sends them to the control unit 200 and the image inspection device 50.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the image forming system 1 is equipped with data storage units 51 and 52 for storing various data such as the reference data described above.

Of these, the data storage unit 51 is part of the image inspection device 50 and is used to temporarily store reference data. The data storage unit 51 also stores various data related to image defects analyzed by the image inspection device 50.

Furthermore, the data storage unit 51 saves and accumulates various settings related to image inspection as inspection profile data. Here, the inspection profile includes information indicating the details of the print job in which the image to be inspected will be printed, such as the size of the paper S used for printing, the number of sheets and copies to be printed, whether double-sided printing is required, and other printing conditions. Other details of the inspection profile will be described later.

On the other hand, the data storage unit 52 is provided within the main body (housing) of the image forming device 20 and is connected to the control unit 200 and the CPU of the image inspection device 50 via an interface (not shown). These data storage units 51 and 52 can use various data storage media, such as HDDs and semiconductor memory.

In one specific example, the image forming device 20 first stores print job setting information, including information indicating the image formation conditions described above, in the data storage unit 52. Then, when creating an inspection profile, the image inspection device 50 reads the information indicating the image formation conditions from the data storage unit 52 and stores it in the data storage unit 51 as part of the inspection profile.

Next, an overview of the inspection job processing executed by the image inspection device 50 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3. For simplicity, the flow shown in Figure 3 assumes that only a print image is formed on paper S in the print job (no coating image is formed).

Here, we will assume that multiple copies (e.g., 100 copies) of a printed material consisting of multiple pages (e.g., four sheets of paper) are printed, and the quality of the images on these multiple copies is inspected, with new reference image data for these printed materials (four sheets of paper) being created.

In step S10, the image inspection device 50 (the CPU of the image inspection device 50 shown in Figure 2; the same applies hereinafter) references the page number of the reference data described above and registers (newly creates) a portion of the scanned image data (here, four sheets of paper) printed by the image forming device 20 and scanned by the image scanning device 30 as reference image data. The process of registering such a reference image is called a "reference job."

Specifically, in step S100, the image inspection device 50 temporarily stores a portion of the images (scanned image data) (corresponding to four sheets of paper) scanned and generated by the image scanning device 30 in RAM or the like as candidates for the reference image.

At this time, the user visually checks the images of the actual printed matter (four sheets), and if there are no problems, the temporarily saved data is stored (registered) as official reference image data in the data storage unit 51 through operation input on the reference image registration screen (not shown) displayed on the display unit 26. At this point, the reference job is completed.

Thus, after the official reference image data has been registered, the image forming device 20 starts the print job for the second copy of the printed material.

For simplicity's sake, the printing used to create new reference image data will be referred to as "proof printing," and the printing that is the subject of the inspection job will be referred to as "final printing." If there are any problems with the images in the actual printouts (four pages), the reference job processing described above will be repeated until the user determines that there are no problems with the reference images.

In step S200, the image inspection device 50 acquires the scanned image data from the second copy (the fifth copy in this example) generated by the output image reading unit 31 of the image reading device 30 after actual printing has been started by the image forming device 20. In this example, the image inspection device 50 receives the generated scanned image data directly from the image reading device 30 (see Figure 2).

In step S300, the image inspection device 50 checks the identity of the scanned image and the reference image by comparing the scanned image data acquired in step S200 with the data of the reference image of the corresponding page registered in step S100.

Next, the image inspection device 50 determines whether the image quality of the scanned image data is OK based on the inspection results of step S300 (step S400). This determination process varies depending on the items related to the degree of match between the reference image and the scanned image (type of image defect) and the pass/fail standard value (threshold value), etc.

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality is OK (no image defects) (step S400, YES), it determines that the image quality of the printout is acceptable. In this case, the image inspection device 50 notifies the post-processing device 40 to eject the paper S corresponding to this scanned image data into a pre-set first tray (e.g., the paper ejection tray 42 in Figure 1) (step S500).

The image inspection device 50 then repeats steps S200 to S500 until the print job related to the inspection is completed, and ends the process when the print job is completed. In this case, the image inspection device 50 notifies the control unit 200 of the image forming device 20 that "the image quality of all printed pages passed," for example.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the scanned image data contains an image defect (step S400, NO), it proceeds to step S600.

In step S600, the image inspection device 50 sends a message to the control unit 200 of the image forming device 20, such as "An image defect occurred on the 50th printed page." At this time, the image inspection device 50 also sends the type of image defect, the position of the image defect on the sheet S, and other information to the control unit 200 of the image forming device 20. The image inspection device 50 also notifies the post-processing device 40 to eject the sheet S corresponding to the scanned image data containing the image defect to a pre-set second tray (e.g., the output tray 43 in Figure 1).

When the post-processing device 40 receives notification from the image inspection device 50 about the presence or absence of image defects, it drives the switching gate of the sorting unit 41 (see Figures 1 and 2) so that the target sheet S is discharged to the appropriate discharge tray (42 or 43).

The image inspection device 50 repeats the above-described steps S100 to S600 until the inspection job is completed. When the inspection job is completed (i.e., up to the last printed page), the image inspection device 50 saves the inspection results in the data storage unit 51 and ends the inspection job.

The above is an overview of the process for the first image inspection when only a print image is formed on paper S. However, even when a coating image is formed on paper S on which a print image has already been formed, the second image inspection can be performed using basically the same procedure as described in Figure 3.

As mentioned above, in order to give the printed image printed on paper S a three-dimensional or glossy appearance, a coated print may be created in which the above-mentioned varnish coating image is formed on or partially overlaps the printed image, or separately from the printed image.

An example of a coated printed matter will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. On the paper S shown in Figure 4, the area where the printed image is formed is indicated by the symbol PI, and the area where the coated image is formed is indicated by the symbol CI. For ease of explanation, these will be referred to as the "printed image PI" and the "coated image CI" below.

The printed matter shown in Figure 4 was created by printing the characters "ABC" and "123" as print images PI on the top and middle tiers of paper S by the print image forming unit 21, and then forming the following coating images CI on the top, middle, and bottom tiers of paper S by the coating image forming unit 23.

For ease of understanding, Figure 5A shows the paper S at the stage where the print image PI has been formed by the print image forming unit 21. For comparison, Figure 5B virtually shows only the coating image CI formed on the paper S by the coating image forming unit 23. In reality, the coating image CI shown in Figure 5B is formed after the print image PI shown in Figure 5A has been formed on the paper S (see Figure 4).

That is, the coating image forming unit 23 forms the letters "ABC" as the coating image CI so that they overlap with the "ABC" in the print image PI, and forms a rectangular solid image as the coating image CI in a position that overlaps the "123" in the print image PI. Furthermore, the coating image forming unit 23 forms an image of five stars as the coating image CI in the lower part of the paper S where the print image PI is not formed.

Thus, the reference image used in image inspection will be the best image among those printed with both the print image PI and the coating image CI on the paper S as described above (see Figure 4).

After the reference image is registered, image inspection can basically be performed using the processing routine described above in Figure 3.

However, when conventional routine image inspection is performed on coated printed materials on which both a print image PI and a coating image CI are formed, the inspection results are stricter than generally required, resulting in poor productivity in printing and inspection.

This issue will be explained below based on the coated printed material shown above in Figures 4, 5A, and 5B.

As can be seen by comparing Figures 4, 5A, and 5B, in this example of a coated printed matter, the overlapping pattern (degree and extent of overlap, etc.) of the coating image CI with the print image PI differs for each type (object) of the coating image CI.

Specifically, the coating image CI of the alphabet "ABC" is in a state where it roughly matches the printed image PI of "ABC" (the characters are slightly wider); in other words, it has the highest degree of overlap with the printed image PI.

From another perspective, the shape or contour of the coating image CI of object "A" has a high degree of similarity to the shape (contour) of "A," and the same is true for the coating images CI of "B" and "C."

Furthermore, the rectangular coating image CI formed in the middle of the paper S is a solid image with an area that surrounds the print image PI of "123." In other words, it has the second highest degree of overlap with the print image PI.

From another perspective, the shape (outline) of the rectangular coating image CI has a low similarity to the shapes (outline) of the numbers "1," "2," and "3."

In contrast to these, the five-star coating image CI formed on the bottom row of paper S does not come into contact with any of the printed images PI and exists independently, so it has the lowest degree of overlap with the printed images PI; in other words, there is no overlap at all with the printed images PI.

When the above three examples (differences in overlapping patterns) are taken into consideration, in many cases, defects (such as distortions in the coating image CI) in the overlapping areas of the printed image PI and the coating image CI, particularly in the outlines of the letters "ABC" above, are easily discernible to the human eye.

On the other hand, it was found that in areas where the printed image PI and the coated image CI do not overlap, such as the background part of the five-star coated image CI in the example above (the part where the stars are blurred), slight distortion is not noticeable.

In light of the above situation, in this embodiment, the image inspection device 50 inspects the coating image CI according to an inspection level (inspection accuracy) set based on the overlapping state between the print image PI and the coating image CI read by the image reading device 30.

In other words, the image inspection device 50 is configured to change the accuracy (inspection level) of the image inspection applied to the coating image CI between areas where the print image PI and coating image CI overlap and areas where they do not overlap.

In addition, the image inspection device 50, as a "detection unit," performs processing to detect non-overlapping portions of the coating image CI that do not overlap with the print image PI on the paper S.

In one specific example, the image inspection device 50 acquires data (print image data and coating image data) for the print image PI and the coating image CI formed on the same side of a sheet of paper S, and detects the non-overlapping portions by comparing the formation positions (two-dimensional coordinates) of each image on the sheet of paper S.

In addition, during this detection process, the image inspection device 50 can also detect overlapping portions of the coating image CI that overlap the print image PI on the paper S.

Next, the image inspection device 50 performs the following processing as a "setting unit."

In other words, the image inspection device 50 sets the image inspection accuracy for the overlapping portion of the coating image CI that overlaps the print image PI on the paper S to the normal accuracy (first inspection accuracy).

In one specific example, this first inspection accuracy is the same accuracy (inspection level) as when performing image inspection on the printed image PI.

On the other hand, the image inspection device 50 sets the image inspection accuracy for the non-overlapping portions of the coating image CI that do not overlap the print image PI on the paper S to a second inspection accuracy that is lower (looser) than the normal accuracy (first inspection accuracy).

In one specific example, this second inspection accuracy is such that if the deviation in the formation pattern of the coating image CI on the paper S does not exceed a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.5 mm), it is determined that there is no image defect, and if there is a deviation that exceeds this threshold, it is determined that there is an image defect.

Examples of deviations in the formation mode include deviations from the coordinate position on the paper S where the mark is supposed to be formed (positional deviation), and when the size of the mark formed on the paper S is larger or smaller than the original size (size deviation).

In this embodiment, after the settings are made as described above, image inspection of the coating image CI on the paper S is performed according to the procedure described above in the flowchart of Figure 3.

Thus, in this embodiment, the coating image CI is inspected (inspection job) using multiple different levels of precision based on the relationship between the formation position of the print image PI and the formation position of the coating image CI, thereby ensuring inspection quality while preventing unnecessary error judgments.

Furthermore, this embodiment can improve the efficiency and productivity of inspection and printing on coated printed materials.

In the following, the set level of image inspection accuracy with the highest (strictest) level will be referred to as the "first inspection accuracy," and conversely, the set level of inspection accuracy with the lowest level will be referred to as the "second inspection accuracy." For ease of explanation, the intermediate level between these two, i.e., a set level of inspection accuracy that is stricter than the second inspection accuracy but less strict than the first inspection accuracy, will be referred to as the "third inspection accuracy."

The above-mentioned settings for each accuracy will be explained with reference to Figure 6 and subsequent figures, which show the separate components (objects) of the coating image CI shown in Figure 5B. Here, Figure 6A shows the objects of the coating image CI set to the first inspection accuracy, and Figure 6B shows the objects of the coating image CI set to the second inspection accuracy.

That is, as can be seen by referring to Figures 4, 5A, and 5B, the part of the letters "ABC" almost perfectly matches (overlaps) between the print image PI and the coating image CI, so any irregularities in the coating image CI are easily noticeable. For this reason, the first inspection accuracy is set for all parts of the coating image CI of the letters "ABC" (see Figure 6A).

Furthermore, the rectangular solid coating image CI overlaps with the numbers "123" in the print image PI, so any disturbances in this rectangular image are easily noticeable. For this reason, the rectangular solid coating image CI is basically set to the first inspection accuracy level (see Figure 6A).

In contrast, the five star-shaped coating images CI do not overlap with any of the printed images PI, and because they have high transparency (low density), slight distortion in the image is unlikely to be noticeable. For this reason, the first inspection accuracy is set for all parts of the five star-shaped coating images CI (see Figure 6B).

On the other hand, from another perspective, the rectangular solid coating image CI covers the numbers "123" in the print image PI from above, and is different from a form in which the shapes (outlines) are roughly the same, such as the letters "ABC."

For this reason, if the same inspection standards were applied (set) to a rectangular solid coating image CI as to a coating image CI of the letters "ABC," there is a risk that the printed matter (product) would be deemed to have failed due to overly strict inspection, even though it is at a level that would be satisfactory to the average person.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the image inspection device 50 does not uniformly apply the first inspection accuracy to all objects in the coating image CI that overlap the print image PI on the paper S, but rather determines which objects are to be set to the third inspection accuracy (third level) based on the following criteria.

In other words, the image inspection device 50, as a "detection unit," detects, among the overlapping portions of the coating image CI that overlap the print image PI on the paper S, overlapping similar portions (objects) that are similar to the contours of the overlapping print image PI, and overlapping dissimilar portions (objects) that are not similar to the contours of the overlapping print image PI.

The image inspection device 50 then functions as a "setting unit" to set the first inspection accuracy for overlapping similar portions (objects) of the coating image CI, and to set the third inspection accuracy, which is lower than the first inspection accuracy but higher than the second inspection accuracy, for overlapping dissimilar portions (objects) of the coating image CI.

As a result, the "ABC" object in the coating image CI is treated as an overlapping similar portion (object), and the image inspection accuracy (level) is set to the first inspection accuracy (Figure 9A). On the other hand, the rectangular solid object in the coating image CI is treated as an overlapping dissimilar portion (object), and the image inspection accuracy (level) is set to the third inspection accuracy (Figure 9C).

For the five star-shaped objects in the coating image CI, the image inspection accuracy (level) is set to the second inspection accuracy as they are non-overlapping parts (objects) (Figure 9B).

Figures 10A to 10C show another specific example where it is considered advisable to set the image inspection accuracy (level) for the coating image CI to the third inspection accuracy. The example shown shows a coated printed product in which seven star marks (see Figure 10C) are formed as the coating image CI on top of a color printed image PI (see Figure 10B) of the word "STAR" (actually written in red).

Referring to Figure 10A, each of the star marks, which are objects that make up the coating image CI, partially overlaps the characters in the print image PI, with the remaining portions not overlapping the characters in the print image PI.

In cases like this where the coating image CI (object) partially overlaps (does not completely overlap) the print image PI, it is not necessarily easy to uniformly determine the level of accuracy to set for the image inspection of the coating image CI.

In consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, in this embodiment, the user can adjust (specify) the third inspection accuracy (level) to any accuracy (level) between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy; the specific configuration for this will be described later.

Next, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7, we will explain in more detail the process of determining or setting the inspection accuracy (level) for the coating image CI, which is primarily performed by the image inspection device 50 as a "detection unit."

Note that Figure 7 shows a specific example of the processing flow executed by the image inspection device 50 when the inspection accuracy of the coating image CI based on the coating data is set to three levels, and also shows the processing that occurs after the corresponding print data is sent from the image forming device 20 to the image inspection device 50.

In step S11, the image inspection device 50 selects and reads one object that constitutes the coating image CI from the coating data.

In one specific example, "one object" in the coated printed material shown in Figure 4 corresponds to one character in the letters "ABC," or "one star mark" in the case of five stars. Similarly, "one object" in the coated printed material shown in Figure 10A corresponds to "one star mark."

The image inspection device 50 reads the shape (outline) of one object, the position (coordinates) where it will be formed on the paper S, the density of the image, etc. from the coating data of the printed matter.

In the following step S12, the image inspection device 50 determines the degree of overlap between the object and the corresponding print image PI, i.e., whether or not there is an overlapping portion.

In one specific example, the image inspection device 50 reads the position (outline coordinates) of the print image PI formed on the paper S from the print data acquired from the image forming device 20, and compares it with the position (coordinates) of the shape (outline) of the object, thereby determining whether or not there is an overlapping portion.

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that there is no overlapping portion (overlap) with the print image PI (step S12, NO), it determines (sets) the inspection accuracy of the coating image to the first inspection accuracy in step S16, and proceeds to step S18.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that there is an overlapping portion (overlap) with the print image PI (step S12, YES), it proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, the image inspection device 50 determines whether the shape (outline) of the object in the coating image CI is similar to the shape (outline) of the print image PI.

In one specific example, in the case of the coated printed matter shown in Figure 4, each character (object) of the letters "ABC" is determined to be "similar," and each "star mark" is determined to be "dissimilar." Similarly, each "star mark" in the coated printed matter shown in Figure 10A is also determined to be "dissimilar."

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the shapes (contours) of the two images are not similar (step S13, NO), it proceeds to step S15.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the shapes (contours) of the two images are similar (step S13, YES), it proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, the image inspection device 50 determines (sets) the inspection accuracy of the object in the coating image CI to the first inspection accuracy, and then proceeds to step S18.

On the other hand, in step S15, the image inspection device 50 determines whether the object in the coating image CI is placed on a solid (filled) print image PI.

Here, a "solid (filled) print image PI" refers to either a case where the surroundings (background) of the object in the coating image CI are a solid (filled) print image PI, or a case where the background is the background color of the paper S, i.e., there is no print image PI.

Here, Figures 11A to 11C show specific examples of the former case, where the surroundings (background) of the object in the coating image CI is a solid-color image filled in by the print image PI.

Here, Figure 11A shows a coated print in which a coating image CI consisting of seven star-shaped objects is formed on a print image PI with a dark background such as black. Also, Figure 11B shows a state in which only the print image PI based on the print data has been formed on the paper, and Figure 11C shows a state in which only the coating image CI based on the coating data has been formed on the paper.

In the latter case, i.e., when the surroundings (background) of the object in the coating image CI are the ground color of the paper S, i.e., there is no print image PI, the example in Figure 4 above applies (see also Figure 6B).

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the object in the coating image CI is placed on a single-color solid (filled) print image PI (step S15, YES), it determines (sets) the inspection accuracy of the object in the coating image CI to the second inspection accuracy in step S16, and proceeds to step S18.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the object in the coating image CI is not placed on a single-color solid (filled) print image PI (step S15, NO), it determines (sets) the inspection level (accuracy) of the object in the coating image CI to the third inspection accuracy in step S17, and proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, the image inspection device 50 determines whether reading of all objects of the coating image CI to be printed has been completed.

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that reading of all objects has not yet been completed (step S18, NO), it returns to step S11 and repeats the processing of steps S11 to S18 described above.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that reading of all objects has been completed (step S18, YES), it ends the processing of this flowchart.

By performing the above processing, the inspection accuracy is determined or set for each of the various objects that make up the coating image CI, taking into account their relationship with the formation position of the print image PI, allowing for appropriate settings to be made in response to general requirements.

Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to ensure inspection quality while preventing unnecessary error judgments, thereby improving productivity of coated printed materials.

Next, an overview of the image inspection process for the coating image CI in this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 8.

In step S20, the image inspection device 50 receives from the image reading device 30 the read image data generated by scanning the coated printed material with the output image reading unit 31 (see Figure 2, etc.). Note that this step S20 corresponds to the processing of step S200 described above in Figure 3.

In the following step S31, the image inspection device 50 compares the coating portion set to the first inspection accuracy (see step S14 in Figure 7 and Figure 9A) from the scanned image data acquired in step S20 with the data of the reference image of the corresponding page registered in step S100 in Figure 3, thereby determining whether the image quality of the coating portion is good (quality OK).

If the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coated area is not good (quality OK) (step S31, NO), it determines that the image quality of the printed matter is unacceptable and proceeds to step S60. In this case, the image inspection device 50 notifies the post-processing device 40 to eject the printed matter sheet S to a pre-set second tray (e.g., the paper output tray 43 in Figure 1) (step S60).

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coating portion is good (quality OK) (step S31, YES), it determines that the image quality of the coating portion is acceptable and proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the image inspection device 50 compares the coating portion set to the second inspection accuracy (see step S16 in Figure 7 and Figure 9B) of the scanned image data acquired in step S20 with the data of the reference image of the corresponding page registered in step S100 in Figure 3, thereby determining whether the image quality of the coating portion is good (quality OK).

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coated area is not good (quality OK) (step S32, NO), it determines that the image quality of the printed matter is unacceptable and executes the processing of step S60 described above.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coating area is good (quality OK) (step S32, YES), it determines that the image quality of the coating area is acceptable and proceeds to step S33.

In step S33, the image inspection device 50 compares the coating portion set to the third inspection accuracy (see step S17 in Figure 7 and Figure 9C) of the scanned image data acquired in step S20 with the data of the reference image of the corresponding page registered in step S100 in Figure 3, thereby determining whether the image quality of the coating portion is good (quality OK).

Here, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coated area is not good (quality OK) (step S33, NO), it determines that the image quality of the printed matter is unacceptable and executes the processing of step S60 described above.

On the other hand, if the image inspection device 50 determines that the image quality of the coated area is good (quality OK) (step S33, YES), it determines that the image quality of the printed matter is acceptable and proceeds to step S50. In this case, the image inspection device 50 notifies the post-processing device 40 to eject the paper S of the printed matter into a pre-set first tray (e.g., the paper output tray 42 in Figure 1) (step S50).

According to the image inspection (quality control) processing routine described above, inspection of the coating image CI is performed in accordance with an inspection level (accuracy) appropriate for each coating portion (object in this example) based on its positional relationship with the print image PI. Therefore, according to this embodiment, compared to conventional methods, the number of rejected products is reduced, and important parts are inspected with high accuracy (strict standards) to leave behind good, passing products, improving printing productivity.

In addition, if the quality of the object requiring the strictest precision (in the example of Figure 4, the coating image CI of each character "ABC") fails (step S31, NO), the printed content of the paper S is treated as failing regardless of the image quality of other objects (step S60), eliminating the need for unnecessary inspections and shortening the inspection process.

Figure 12 shows an example of a settings screen that allows the user to arbitrarily set the third accuracy. The example shown in Figure 12 is a diagram explaining a configuration example that allows the user to adjust the third inspection accuracy for the coated printed material shown in Figure 4, and shows an example of a user settings screen that is displayed on the display unit 26 of the image forming device 20 based on the control of the image inspection device 50.

As shown in Figure 12, in this example, the coated printed material is displayed on the left side of the user settings screen, and the accuracy setting section 260 and OK button 269, which the user can use to input operations, are displayed on the right side of the screen.

In one example, the coated printed material displayed on the left side of the user settings screen is a pre-registered reference image.

The accuracy setting section 260 also displays a volume 261 for setting (specifying) or changing the third inspection accuracy. This volume 261 can be moved in several steps or continuously between the scales "1" and "2" depending on the user's input operation.

Here, scale "1" represents an accuracy (strict level) that is approximately the same as the first inspection accuracy, and scale "2" represents an accuracy (lenient level) that is approximately the same as the second inspection accuracy.

The coated printed material displayed on the left side of the user settings screen is displayed with different object colors for each inspection accuracy level, based on the results of analysis of the coating data image by the image inspection device 50.

In one specific example, a coating image CI (object) to which the first inspection accuracy, which is the strictest inspection level, is applied is displayed in red (R), and a coating image CI (object) to which the second inspection accuracy, which is the more lenient inspection level, is applied is displayed in green (G).

In addition, coating images CI (objects) to which the third inspection accuracy, which is an inspection level intermediate between the first and second inspection accuracy levels, are applied are displayed in yellow (Y).

Therefore, the color of the coating image CI in the coated printed material displayed on the user settings screen differs from the color of the coating material that is actually printed.

For ease of explanation, in Figure 12, the red coating image CI is denoted by the symbol (R), the green coating image CI by the symbol (G), and the yellow coating image CI by the symbol (Y).

Thus, this embodiment, which displays the user setting screen described above, allows the third inspection accuracy to be adjusted as desired. This makes it possible to handle the inspection of a variety of coated printed materials, including those with more complex patterns (printed images or varnished images), as well as the coated printed materials described in Figures 4, 10A, and 11A.

Furthermore, when the initial position of the volume 261 (the midpoint between the scale marks "1" and "2") is changed by a user input operation, the image inspection device 50 performs processing to change the display color of the coating image CI (Y) according to that position.

In detail, the image inspection device 50 changes the display color of the coating image CI (Y) so that the red (R) component increases as the position of the volume 261 approaches the scale mark "1."

On the other hand, the image inspection device 50 changes the display color of the coating image CI (Y) so that the green (G) component increases as the position of the volume 261 approaches the scale mark "2."

When displayed in the above format, it becomes easier for users to intuitively visualize the level of third inspection accuracy (degree of strictness or leniency).

For simplicity, Figure 12 shows an example of a form in which only images of coated printed materials are displayed on the user settings screen in colors corresponding to the inspection accuracy being applied.

However, as mentioned above, the color of the coating image CI displayed on the user settings screen for the coated printed material differs from the color of the coating image that is actually formed. For this reason, it is conceivable that users would like to understand (confirm) the actual printed color before setting the third inspection accuracy.

In light of the above, the image inspection device 50 displays a user settings screen such as that shown in FIG. 12 after displaying the print preview screen, or incorporates and displays it within the print preview screen.

Next, we will explain the outline of the inspection settings process when the print preview screen and user settings screen described above in Figure 12 are displayed, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 13.

When executing a print job, the image inspection device 50 acquires print data and coating data from the control unit 200 of the image forming device 20 (step S1).

Next, the image inspection device 50 detects the overlap between the print image PI and the coating image CI (presence or absence of overlapping areas, and their position on the paper) from the acquired print data and coating data (step S2).

In the following step S3, the image inspection device 50 performs steps S11 to S18 described above in FIG. 7, i.e., the process of determining the first, second, and third inspection accuracies.

Here, the image inspection device 50 determines the inspection accuracy of the coating image (object) in which overlap with the print data has been detected to be the first inspection accuracy (strict level) (step S14), and sets this determination as a final value in the setting data.

On the other hand, for coating images (objects) for which no overlap with the print data is detected, the image inspection device 50 determines the inspection accuracy to be the second inspection accuracy (step S16), which is a relaxed level, or the third inspection accuracy (step S17), which is an intermediate level, through the judgments of steps S13 and S15 described above.

The image inspection device 50 then determines that the second inspection accuracy (low level) is also a final value and sets it in the configuration data. On the other hand, the image inspection device 50 determines that the third inspection accuracy (intermediate level) is not yet a final value.

In the following step S4, the image inspection device 50 executes a process to simultaneously display the print preview screen described above and the user setting screen described in Figure 12 on the display unit 26 of the image forming device 20 based on the print data and varnishing data.

Here, the image inspection device 50 monitors input signals from the operation display unit 25 and accepts user instructions regarding the third inspection accuracy. In this way, the user can specify the third inspection accuracy level for the object in the coating image CI(Y) described in Figure 12.

Thus, in step S5 after the user selects the OK button 269, the image inspection device 50 updates the setting data for the corresponding object in the coating image CI(Y) so that it is set to the level specified on the user setting screen.

The image inspection device 50 then performs the inspection process described in Figure 8, thereby performing image inspection of the coated printed material for each object in the coating image CI according to the preset inspection accuracy.

As described above, this embodiment allows for the inspection accuracy to be appropriately changed (selected) during image inspection of the coating image CI of a coated printed product, taking into account its positional relationship with the printed image PI. This makes it possible to ensure inspection quality while preventing unnecessary error judgments.

For simplicity, the above-described embodiment describes an example in which the image inspection device 50 sets and applies a single (one type) inspection accuracy (inspection level) to each object that makes up the coating image CI (for example, each star mark shown in Figure 10C).

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image inspection device 50 may be configured to set (apply) multiple types of inspection accuracy to each object that makes up the coating image CI. Specifically, for each star mark shown in Figure 10C, a first inspection accuracy (high level) may be set for the portion that overlaps with the print image PI (characters), and a second inspection accuracy (low level) may be set for the portion that overlaps with the print image PI (characters).

In the above embodiment, a system was described that uses an image forming device 20 that forms each image of a coated printed material based on print image data and coding data received from a single PC (personal computer) 60, but this is not limited to this.

As another example, the image forming device 20 may be configured to receive the print image data and coding data from separate terminals (such as a network server). Alternatively, the image forming device 20 may be configured to include an automatic document feeder such as an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and a document image scanning device (scanner), both of which are not shown.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the paper feeder 10, image reading device 30, and post-processing device 40 were separate devices from the image forming device 20, but it goes without saying that these devices may also be integrated.

Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by these embodiments. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from its gist or main features.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Image forming system 10 Paper feeder 20 Image forming device 21 Print image forming section 22 Fixing section 23 Coating image forming section 25 Operation display section 26 Display section 27 Operation section
30 Image reading device (image reading unit)
31 Output image reading unit 40 Post-processing device 41 Sorting unit 42, 43 Paper discharge tray 50 Image inspection device (image inspection unit)
60 PCs
51, 52 Data storage unit 80 Relay device 200 Control unit of image forming device 260 Precision setting unit 261 Volume 269 OK button PI Print image CI Coating image

Claims (36)

a display control unit that displays a first inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
an inspection unit that, when inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspects the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspects the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspects the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.
Image inspection equipment. the display control unit displays the objects in the first inspection area in the first color, the objects in the second inspection area in the second color, and the objects in the third inspection area in the third color.
The image inspection device according to claim 1 . the third color is changed in response to a change in the third inspection accuracy.
3. The image inspection device according to claim 1 or 2. the display control unit displays the correspondence relationship between the inspection accuracy and the color.
The image inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the display control unit causes the first inspection area to be displayed by being filled with the first color, and the second inspection area to be displayed by being filled with the second color;
The image inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The inspection is performed by comparing the read image with a reference image.
The image inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. the object in the first inspection area, the object in the second inspection area, and the object in the third inspection area are displayed on a displayed reference image.
The image inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The image is a coated print formed on a recording medium.
The image inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. setting the inspection accuracy according to an overlapping state of the printed image and the coating image formed on the recording medium;
The image inspection device according to claim 8 . a display control unit that displays a first inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area where inspection is to be performed with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
an inspection unit that, when inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspects the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspects the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspects the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.
Image inspection system. the display control unit displays the objects in the first inspection area in the first color, the objects in the second inspection area in the second color, and the objects in the third inspection area in the third color.
The image inspection system of claim 10. the third color is changed in response to a change in the third inspection accuracy.
12. An image inspection system according to claim 10 or 11. the display control unit displays the correspondence relationship between the inspection accuracy and the color.
13. An image inspection system according to any one of claims 10 to 12. the display control unit causes the first inspection area to be displayed by being filled with the first color, and the second inspection area to be displayed by being filled with the second color;
14. An image inspection system according to any one of claims 10 to 13. The inspection is performed by comparing the read image with a reference image.
15. An image inspection system according to any one of claims 10 to 14. the object in the first inspection area, the object in the second inspection area, and the object in the third inspection area are displayed on a displayed reference image.
16. An image inspection system according to any one of claims 10 to 15. The image is a coated print formed on a recording medium.
17. An image inspection system according to any one of claims 10 to 16. setting the inspection accuracy according to an overlapping state of the printed image and the coating image formed on the recording medium;
18. The imaging inspection system of claim 17. a step of displaying a first inspection area inspected with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area inspected with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area inspected with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
When inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspecting the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspecting the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspecting the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.
Imaging methods. the displaying step displays the objects in the first inspection area in the first color, the objects in the second inspection area in the second color, and the objects in the third inspection area in the third color;
The image inspection method according to claim 19. the third color is changed in response to a change in the third inspection accuracy.
21. The image inspection method according to claim 19 or 20. the displaying step displays the correspondence between the inspection accuracy and the color;
22. The image inspection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21. the displaying step displays the first inspection area by filling it with the first color, and the second inspection area by filling it with the second color;
23. The image inspection method according to any one of claims 19 to 22. The inspection is performed by comparing the read image with a reference image.
24. The image inspection method according to any one of claims 19 to 23. the object in the first inspection area, the object in the second inspection area, and the object in the third inspection area are displayed on a displayed reference image.
25. The image inspection method according to any one of claims 19 to 24. The image is a coated print formed on a recording medium.
26. The image inspection method according to any one of claims 19 to 25. setting the inspection accuracy according to an overlapping state of the printed image and the coating image formed on the recording medium;
The image inspection method according to claim 26. a step of displaying a first inspection area inspected with a first inspection accuracy in a first color, a second inspection area inspected with a second inspection accuracy lower than the first inspection accuracy in a second color different from the first color, and a third inspection area inspected with a third inspection accuracy between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy in a third color different from the first color and the second color;
When inspecting a read image of an image formed on a recording medium, inspecting the first inspection area with the first inspection accuracy, inspecting the second inspection area with the second inspection accuracy, and inspecting the third inspection area with the third inspection accuracy;
and
The third inspection accuracy can be changed within a range between the first inspection accuracy and the second inspection accuracy.
Image inspection program. the displaying step displays the objects in the first inspection area in the first color, the objects in the second inspection area in the second color, and the objects in the third inspection area in the third color;
29. The image inspection program according to claim 28. the third color is changed in response to a change in the third inspection accuracy.
30. An image inspection program according to claim 28 or 29. the displaying step displays the correspondence between the inspection accuracy and the color;
31. The image inspection program according to any one of claims 28 to 30. the displaying step displays the first inspection area by filling it with the first color, and the second inspection area by filling it with the second color;
32. The image inspection program according to any one of claims 28 to 31. The inspection is performed by comparing the read image with a reference image.
33. An image inspection program according to any one of claims 29 to 32. the object in the first inspection area, the object in the second inspection area, and the object in the third inspection area are displayed on a displayed reference image.
34. An image inspection program according to any one of claims 29 to 33. The image is a coated print formed on a recording medium.
35. An image inspection program according to any one of claims 28 to 34. setting the inspection accuracy according to an overlapping state of the printed image and the coating image formed on the recording medium;
36. The image inspection program according to claim 35.