Image processing device, image forming apparatus, image processing method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427787-B2
Application number	US-202318468973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 4, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

An image processing device includes: a first contamination detection circuit to detect contamination on an image reading device using a first relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of a same-density region in a read image obtained by the image reading device, the image reading device reading a reference image formed on a recording medium by a line head including a plurality of inkjet heads and that has density regions of a plurality of gradations; a second contamination detection circuit to detect contamination on the image reading device using a second relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of an area in the read image, the area being divided for each of the plurality of inkjet heads; and a contamination processing circuit to eliminate an influence of the contamination on the read image when at least one of the first contamination detection circuit or the second contamination detection circuit determines the contamination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing device comprising:
a first contamination detection circuit configured to detect contamination on an image reading device using a first relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of a same-density region in a read image obtained by the image reading device, the image reading device reading a reference image formed on a recording medium by a line head including a plurality of inkjet heads and that has density regions of a plurality of gradations;
a second contamination detection circuit configured to detect contamination on the image reading device using a second relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of an area in the read image, the area being divided for each of the plurality of inkjet heads; and
a contamination processing circuit configured to eliminate an influence of the contamination on the read image when at least one of the first contamination detection circuit or the second contamination detection circuit determines the contamination.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first contamination detection circuit and the second contamination detection circuit detect white contamination and black contamination as the contamination on the image reading device.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the contamination processing circuit replaces a pixel value determined as having the contamination by at least one of the first contamination detection circuit or the second contamination detection circuit, with a pixel value not having the contamination.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the contamination processing circuit uses an average value of pixel values determined as not having the contamination as the pixel value not having the contamination.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reference image is an adjustment chart that is used for density equalization processing of correcting unevenness in density of an entire image formed on the recording medium, and
wherein detection processing for the contamination on the image reading device by the first contamination detection circuit and the second contamination detection circuit is executed in part of the density equalization processing.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image processing device according to claim 1 ; and
an image forming device including the line head.

7. An image processing method comprising:
first detecting contamination on an image reading device using a first relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of a same-density region in a read image obtained by the image reading device, the image reading device reading a reference image formed on a recording medium by a line head including a plurality of inkjet heads and that has density regions of a plurality of gradations;
second detecting contamination on the image reading device using a second relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of an area in the read image, the area being divided for each of the plurality of inkjet heads; and
eliminating an influence of the contamination on the read image when at least one of the first detecting or the second detecting determines the contamination.

8. A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform an image processing method, the method comprising:
first detecting contamination on an image reading device using a first relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of a same-density region in a read image obtained by the image reading device, the image reading device reading a reference image formed on a recording medium by a line head including a plurality of inkjet heads and that has density regions of a plurality of gradations;
second detecting contamination on the image reading device using a second relative threshold value calculated from a standard deviation of pixel values of an area in the read image, the area being divided for each of the plurality of inkjet heads; and
eliminating an influence of the contamination on the read image when at least one of the first detecting or the second detecting determines the contamination.

Assignees

• Kondo Paru
• Fukuda Hiroaki
• Kurabayashi Dai
• Sawada Takuroh
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Paru
• Fukuda Hiroaki
• Kurabayashi Dai
• Sawada Takuroh

Classifications

• G06K15/408

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

• G06K15/1878

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

• B41J2/17546

  electronically · CPC title

• B41J2202/21

  Line printing · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title