Information processing apparatus, abnormality detection method, storage medium, and information processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12301770-B2
Application number	US-202318177886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2023
Priority date	Mar 8, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry detects an abnormality in an image reading apparatus from a first spectral reflectance and a second spectral reflectance, the first spectral reflectance being generated based on data read from a reference white plate installed in the image reading apparatus, the second spectral reflectance being generated before generation of the first spectral reflectance, and identifies a cause of an abnormality in the image reading apparatus in a case where the processing circuitry detects the abnormality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising processing circuitry configured to:
detect an abnormality in an image reading apparatus from a first spectral reflectance and a second spectral reflectance, the first spectral reflectance being generated based on data read, by one line sensor, from a reference white plate installed in the image reading apparatus, the second spectral reflectance being stored in a memory of the information processing apparatus prior to a time of shipment of the information processing apparatus;
identify a cause of an abnormality in the image reading apparatus, in response to detecting the abnormality, based on the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance; and
determine the cause of the abnormality as a deterioration of the reference white plate in response to a large difference in distribution between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance being confined to a particular wavelength range.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect the abnormality in the image reading apparatus by using at least one of
a difference between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance,
a ratio between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance, or
a degree of similarity between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance based on statistics.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set a wavelength band of each of the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance to be used for abnormality detection to 400 nm to 700 nm.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to identify the cause of the abnormality in the image reading apparatus based on the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance in a specific wavelength range.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to identify the cause of the abnormality in the image reading apparatus by using sensor information obtained in a direction orthogonal to an array direction of the one line sensor installed in the image reading apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to notify a user of the cause of the abnormality in the image reading apparatus and a countermeasure to the cause.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to automatically correct a setting value in the image reading apparatus in response to the setting value being incorrect.

8. An information processing system comprising:
an image reading apparatus configured to read a reference white plate; and
the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second spectral reflectance is reference spectral reflectance data on the reference white plate at the time of shipment.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine the cause of the abnormality based on a distribution of the first spectral reflectance and a distribution of the second spectral reflectance.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine the cause of the abnormality to be at least one of an abnormality of a scanner lens or the line sensor in response to a difference between a distribution over an entire wavelength range of the first spectral reflectance and a distribution over an entire wavelength range of the second spectral reflectance.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
generate first spectral reflectance based on the data read by the one line sensor and a transformation matrix.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the transformation matrix is based on learning data including signal values associated with spectral reflectances.

14. An abnormality detection method to be executed in an information processing apparatus, the abnormality detection method comprising:
detecting an abnormality in an image reading apparatus from a first spectral reflectance and a second spectral reflectance, the first spectral reflectance being generated based on data read, by one line sensor, from a reference white plate installed in the image reading apparatus, the second spectral reflectance being stored in a memory of the information processing apparatus prior to a time of shipment of the information processing apparatus;
identifying a cause of an abnormality in the image reading apparatus, in response to detecting the abnormality, based on the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance; and
determining the cause of the abnormality as a deterioration of the reference white plate in response to a large difference in distribution between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance being confined to a particular wavelength range.

15. The abnormality detection method according to claim 14 , wherein the second spectral reflectance is reference spectral reflectance data on the reference white plate at the time of shipment.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing computer-readable code which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an information processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:
detecting an abnormality in an image reading apparatus from a first spectral reflectance and a second spectral reflectance, the first spectral reflectance being generated based on data read, by one line sensor, from a reference white plate installed in the image reading apparatus, the second spectral reflectance being stored in a memory of the information processing apparatus prior to a time of shipment of the information processing apparatus;
identifying a cause of an abnormality in the image reading apparatus in response to detecting the abnormality, based on the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance; and
determining the cause of the abnormality as a deterioration of the reference white plate in response to a large difference in distribution between the first spectral reflectance and the second spectral reflectance being confined to a particular wavelength range.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the second spectral reflectance is reference spectral reflectance data on the reference white plate at the time of shipment.

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Kihara Hideyuki
• Taneda Yusuke
• NAGATA Yuta

Classifications

• H04N1/6044

  involving a sensor integrated in the machine or otherwise specifically adapted to read the test pattern · CPC title

• H04N1/00013 Primary

  Reading apparatus · CPC title

• H04N1/6055

  using test pattern analysis · CPC title

• H04N1/6036

  involving periodic tests or tests during use of the machine · CPC title

• H04N1/4076

  dependent on references outside the picture · CPC title