Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11574156-B2
Application number	US-202117382792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2021
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus outputs a first number of printed materials, reads the first number of printed materials output to acquire the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the first number being two or more, and controls a density of output printed materials by calculating variations in lightness values in the respective pieces of scanned image data included in scanned image data groups for each scanned image data group having as a unit a second number of pieces of scanned image data consecutive in order of being read among the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the second number being two or more, so that the printed materials are further output until all the variations in the lightness values are less than a first threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to function as:
a forming unit configured to output a first number of printed materials on which an image for performing a density adjustment is formed;
a reading unit configured to read the first number of printed materials output from the forming unit to acquire the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the first number being two or more; and
a control unit configured to control the forming unit by calculating, for each scanned image data group having as a unit a second number of pieces of scanned image data consecutive in order of being read among the first number of pieces of scanned image data, variations in lightness values of a predetermined number of specific pixels in the respective pieces of scanned image data included in each scanned image data group, the second number being two or more, so that the printed materials are further output until all the variations in the lightness values of the predetermined number of specific pixels are less than a first threshold value,
wherein in a case where the number of the output printed materials is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the control unit controls the forming unit so as to end outputting of the printed materials even in a case where the variations are equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit controls the forming unit so that half the first number of printed materials are further output in a case where all the variations calculated based on the scanned image data group including scanned image data read most recently of the first number of pieces of scanned image data are equal to or greater than the first threshold value and at least one of the variations is less than a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit controls the forming unit so that the first number of printed materials are further output in a case where all the variations calculated based on the scanned image data group including scanned image data read most recently of the first number of pieces of scanned image data are equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit causes a display device to display as a required number of sheets for warm up printing a minimum value among maximum values representing order in which scanned image data included in the scanned image data group in which all the variations are less than the first threshold value is read.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
an image for performing the density adjustment is an image in which at least one color is arranged in a plurality of different positions at different densities, and
the control unit calculates the variations using as the specific pixel a plurality of pixels of the scanned image data corresponding to the plurality of different positions of the image for performing the density adjustment.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the variations are a standard deviation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an operation unit that allows a user to set the first number and the second number.

8. A method comprising:
outputting a first number of printed materials on which an image for performing a density adjustment is formed;
reading the first number of printed materials to acquire the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the first number being two or more; and
calculating variations in lightness values of a predetermined number of specific pixels in the respective pieces of scanned image data included in scanned image data groups for each scanned image data group having as a unit a second number of pieces of scanned image data consecutive in order of being read among the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the second number being two or more, so as to cause the apparatus to further output the printed materials until all the variations in the lightness values of the predetermined number of specific pixels are less than a first threshold value, and
controlling, in a case where the number of the output printed materials is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, so as to end outputting of the printed materials even in a case where the variations are equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising displaying as a required number of sheets for warm up printing a minimum value among maximum values representing order in which scanned image data included in the scanned image data group in which all the variations are less than the first threshold value is read.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein
an image for performing the density adjustment is an image in which at least one color is arranged in a plurality of different positions at different densities, and
the calculating calculates the variations using as the specific pixel a plurality of pixels of the scanned image data corresponding to the plurality of different positions of the image for performing the density adjustment.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the variations are a standard deviation.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising allowing a user to set the first number and the second number.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute a method comprising:
outputting a first number of printed materials on which an image for performing a density adjustment is formed;
reading the first number of printed materials to acquire the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the first number being two or more;
calculating variations in lightness values of a predetermined number of specific pixels in the respective pieces of scanned image data included in scanned image data groups for each scanned image data group having as a unit a second number of pieces of scanned image data consecutive in order of being read among the first number of pieces of scanned image data, the second number being two or more, so as to cause the apparatus to further output the printed materials until all the variations in the lightness values of the predetermined number of specific pixels are less than a first threshold value; and
comprising controlling, in a case where the number of the output printed materials is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, so as to end outputting of the printed materials even in a case where the variations are equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13 , further comprising displaying as a required number of sheets for warm up printing a minimum value among maximum values representing order in which scanned image data included in the scanned image data group in which all the variations are less than the first threshold value is read.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13 ,
wherein an image for performing the density adjustment is an image in which at least one color is arranged in a plurality of different positions at different densities, and
wherein the calculating calculates the variations using as the specific pixel a plurality of pixels of the scanned image data corresponding to the plurality of different positions of the image fo

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sato Eri

Classifications

• G06K15/408

  Handling exceptions, e.g. faults (computer driven error handling and recovery for a printer G06F3/1234) · CPC title

• G06K15/027 Primary

  Test patterns and calibration (arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033) · CPC title

• G06K15/1878

  Adjusting colours (image colour correction or control for documents in general H04N1/60) · CPC title

• G06K15/1803

  Receiving particular commands · CPC title

• G06K15/002 Primary

  Interacting with the operator · CPC title