Color chart for performing color and in-plane unevenness on an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11895284-B2
Application number	US-202117512960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2021
Priority date	Oct 29, 2020
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A color chart is for performing color adjustment on an image forming apparatus. The color chart includes identification information and a color adjustment patch. The identification information is on an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied. The color adjustment patch includes a plurality of color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming apparatus indicated by the identification information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A color chart for performing color adjustment of an image forming apparatus, the color chart comprising:
identification information of an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied, the identification information included in a color code including
a plurality of first color patches of a plurality of colors, and
second color patches of fixed colors at both ends of the color code in a color patch arrangement direction;

a color adjustment patch including a plurality of third color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming apparatus indicated by the identification information; and
a plurality of determination patches, each determination patch of the plurality of determination patches including a color patch for determining presence or absence of in-plane unevenness in the color chart and each determination patch being adjacent to neither a portion of white paper of the color chart nor a white color patch,
wherein the color adjustment patch and the determination patch are arranged at mutually independent positions.

2. The color chart according to claim 1 , wherein the color code further includes information on a paper type of a sheet on which the color chart is output.

3. The color chart according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of determination patches includes a plurality of fourth color patches in a same arrangement.

4. The color chart according to claim 1 , wherein the color code further includes page information on the color chart.

5. The color chart according to claim 1 , wherein the first color patches of the color code are arranged so as not to have a same color as a color of an adjacent color patch.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
acquire color information data generated by reading, by an image reading apparatus, a color chart output from an image forming apparatus, the color chart including
identification information of the image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied, the identification information included in a color code including
a plurality of first color patches of a plurality of colors, and
second color patches of fixed colors at both ends of the color code in a color patch arrangement direction,

a color adjustment patch including a plurality of third color patches for performing color adjustment on the image forming apparatus, and
a plurality of determination patches arranged in a plane of the color chart, each of the plurality of determination patches including a color patch for determining presence or absence of in-plane unevenness in the color chart and each determination patch being adjacent to neither a portion of white paper of the color chart nor a white color patch, the color adjustment patch and each of the plurality of determination patches being arranged at mutually independent positions;

identify the image forming apparatus from the identification information included in the color information data; and
generate a profile to be applied to the image forming apparatus, based on a color measurement value of the color adjustment patch included in the color information data.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to identify the image forming apparatus from the color code included in the color information data.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the color code further includes information on a paper type of a sheet on which the color chart is output,
the processing circuitry is configured to
identify the image forming apparatus and the paper type from the color code included in the color information data, and
generate the profile to be applied to the paper type of the image forming apparatus, based on the color measurement value of the color adjustment patch included in the color information data.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to
determine presence or absence of the in-plane unevenness in the color chart, based on color measurement values of the plurality of determination patches included in the color information data, and
generate the profile to be applied to the image forming apparatus identified by the color code, in response to determining that no in-plane unevenness in the color chart is present.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the plurality of determination patches are arranged in the plane of the color chart,
each of the plurality of determination patches includes a plurality of fourth color patches in a same arrangement, and
the processing circuitry is configured to
calculate average values of color measurement values of the fourth color patches at corresponding positions in the plurality of determination patches, and
determine presence or absence of the in-plane unevenness in the color chart, based on the average values.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to
calculate maximum values among color differences between color measurement values of the fourth color patches at corresponding positions in the plurality of determination patches, and an average value of the color measurement values, and
determine that the in-plane unevenness in the color chart is present, in response to at least any of the maximum values being equal to or greater than a threshold.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to rotate the color information data in accordance with arrangement of the second color patches of the fixed colors in the color code included in the color information data.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the color code further includes page information on the color chart,
the color chart includes a plurality of color charts output from the image forming apparatus, and
the processing circuitry is configured to
identify the image forming apparatus and the page information from the color code included in the color information data of each of the plurality of color charts, and
determine presence or absence of color variation between the plurality of color charts each corresponding to one of pieces of page information corresponding to the same image forming apparatus, based on color measurement values of determination patches in color information data for the pieces of page information.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to display an abnormality in response determining that the abnormality is present.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first color patches of the color code are arranged so as not to have a same color as a color of an adjacent color patch.

16. An information processing system comprising:
an image forming apparatus to which color adjustment is to be applied, the image forming apparatus being configured to output a color chart including
identification information of the image forming apparatus, the identification information included in a color code including
a plurality of first color patches of a plurality of colors, and
second color patches of fixed colors at both ends of the color code in a color patch arrangement direction,

a color adjustment patch including a plurality of third color patches for performing color adjustment on th

Assignees

• Kihara Hideyuki
• NAGATA Yuta
• Taneda Yusuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kihara Hideyuki
• NAGATA Yuta
• Taneda Yusuke

Classifications

• H04N1/6033 Primary

  using test pattern analysis (H04N1/6055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/6072

  adapting to different types of images, e.g. characters, graphs, black and white image portions · CPC title

• H04N1/6097

  depending on the characteristics of the output medium, e.g. glossy paper, matt paper, transparency or fabrics · CPC title

• H04N1/603

  controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer · CPC title