Image forming apparatus, image diagnostic method, and image diagnostic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9282199-B2
Application number	US-201414556396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

An image forming apparatus is configured to print a predetermined test chart that corresponds to an image defect to be analyzed, and to transmit the printed test chart to an image diagnostic apparatus as scanned image data. The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that prints the test chart; a scanning unit that scans the test chart printed by the image forming unit and acquiring the image data; and a transmission unit that transmits the image data of the test chart scanned by the scanning unit, after changing the size of the image data corresponding to the defect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus configured to print a predetermined test chart that corresponds to an image defect to be analyzed, and to transmit the printed test chart to an image diagnostic apparatus as scanned image data, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit that prints the test chart;
a scanning unit that scans the test chart printed by the image forming unit and acquires the image data;
a determination unit that determines a transmission setting for transmitting the image data of a test chart scanned by the scanning unit according to the type of image defect corresponding to the test chart, the transmission setting including an item that has an influence on the size of the image data; and
a transmission unit that transmits the image data acquired by scanning the test chart by the scanning unit, the image data to be transmitted having a data size according to the transmission setting determined by the determination unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the transmission setting so that the data size of a test chart corresponding to an image defect covering an entire image is smaller than the size of a test chart corresponding to an image defect covering a part of an image.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the image defect that extends over the entire image includes color unevenness or dot unevenness, where the test chart that corresponds to the color unevenness is a color patch chart in which a color patch is arranged, and the test chart that corresponds to the dot unevenness is a solid chart composed of a uniform color.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the local image defect includes a dust image, a streak image, or an image in which a coloring material is scattered, where the test chart that corresponds to the dust image and the streak image is the solid chart, and the test chart that corresponds to the image in which the coloring material is scattered is a fine line chart including a fine line.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data of the test chart, the data size of the image data of the test chart having been changed according to a compression rate indicated by the transmission setting.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data of the test chart, the data size of the image data of the test chart having been changed according to a resolution indicated by the transmission setting.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data of the test chart, the data size of the image data of the test chart having been changed according to a color setting indicated by the transmission setting.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a requesting unit that requests the image data of the test chart and transmission setting from the image diagnostic apparatus; and
a receiving unit that receives the image data of the test chart and the transmission setting from the image diagnostic apparatus, wherein
the image forming unit prints the test chart received by the receiving unit, and
the transmission unit transmits the image data scanned by the scanning unit with a resolution, a compression rate, and a color setting of the test chart, which are included in the transmission setting.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image forming unit forms an image of identification information of the test chart so that the image is superimposed on the test chart, and
the transmission unit identifies the image data of the test chart by the identification information, and transmits the image data of the test chart that corresponds to an image defect that extends over the entire image, wherein the size of the image data of the test chart that corresponds to an image defect that extends over the entire image is smaller than the size of the image data of the test chart that corresponds to a local image defect.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the item included in the transmission setting indicates a resolution and/or a color setting, the color setting showing whether the image is a color image or a monochrome image.

11. An image diagnostic system comprising:
an image forming apparatus; and
an image diagnostic apparatus configured to specify a problem of the image forming apparatus by analyzing the image data of the test chart received from the image forming apparatus,
wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to print a predetermined test chart that corresponds to an image defect to be analyzed, and to transmit the printed test chart to the image diagnostic apparatus as scanned image data, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit that prints the test chart;
a scanning unit that scans the test chart printed by the image forming unit and acquires the image data;
a reduction unit that reduces the data size of image data of the test chart scanned by the scanning unit so that the reduced data size becomes a predetermined size according to the type of image defect corresponding to the test chart;
a determination unit that determines a transmission setting for transmitting the image data of the test chart scanned by the scanning unit according to the type of image defect corresponding to the test chart, the transmission setting including an item that has an influence on the size of the image data; and
a transmission unit that transmits the image data acquired by scanning the test chart by the scanning unit, the image data to be transmitted having a data size according to the transmission setting determined by the determination unit.

12. An image diagnostic method in which a predetermined test chart that corresponds to an image defect to be analyzed is printed, and the printed test chart is transmitted to an image diagnostic apparatus as scanned image data, the method comprising:
printing the test chart;
acquiring image data by scanning the printed test chart;
determining a transmission setting for transmitting the image data of the test chart acquired in the acquiring step according to the type of image defect corresponding to the test chart, the transmission setting including an item that has an influence on the size of the image data; and
transmitting the image data acquired by scanning the test chart, the image data to be transmitted having a data size according to the transmission setting determined in the determining step.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program therein for causing a computer to perform an image diagnostic method in which a predetermined test chart that corresponds to an image defect to be analyzed is printed, and the printed test chart is transmitted to an image diagnostic apparatus as scanned image data, the method comprising:
printing the test chart;
acquiring image data by scanning the printed test chart;
determining a transmission setting for transmitting the image data of the test chart acquired in the acquiring step according to the type of image defect corresponding to the test chart, the transmission setting including an item that has an influence on the size of the image data; and
transmitting the image data acquired by scanning the test chart, the image data to be transmitted having a data size according to the transmission setting determined in the determining step.

14. An image diagnostic method in which a predeterm

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hashizume Asako

Classifications

• H04N1/56

  Processing of colour picture signals (H04N1/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00278

  with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer · CPC title

• H04N1/4097 Primary

  Removing errors due external factors, e.g. dust, scratches · CPC title

• H04N1/00045

  using a reference pattern designed for the purpose, e.g. a test chart · CPC title

• H04N1/00074 Primary

  Indicating or reporting (details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035) · CPC title