IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,504,934
Granted Patent B2
US 12,504,934 · App. 18/596,112 · Granted Dec 23, 2025

Inspection apparatus and control method of inspection apparatus for detecting an image defect based on image data

Inventor: Daisuke Shibata (Ibaraki, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G06F3/1234G06F3/1208G06F3/121G06T7/0004G06T2207/30144
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,504,934
App. No.
18/596,112
Granted
Dec 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

On the basis of determination by image inspection that an image defect is generated and a predetermined condition being satisfied, an instruction unit for issuing an image diagnosis instruction is displayed on a screen of an inspection result, and image diagnosis is executed in response to an operation on the instruction unit.

Claims (39)

1 . An inspection apparatus connected with an image forming apparatus, the inspection apparatus comprising:

a scanner configured to obtain inspection target image data by reading a printed matter printed on a recording sheet by the image forming apparatus based on a print job; and

a controller having a processor which executes instructions stored in a memory, the controller being configured to:

inspect whether an image defect is in the inspection target image data obtained by the scanner; and

execute, based on detecting the image defect from the inspection target image data, an image diagnosis of diagnosing a defect portion of the image forming apparatus based on a type of the image defect included in the inspection target image data,

wherein the controller sets at least one setting regarding the image diagnosis,

wherein the setting includes a setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis, and

the setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis is one of a setting to automatically execute the image diagnosis and a setting to execute the image diagnosis upon receiving an instruction to execute the image diagnosis.

2 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller diagnoses the defect portion of the image forming apparatus based on image data of a plurality of pages obtained by reading executed by the scanner.

3 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs processing of diagnosing the defect portion of the image forming apparatus for an item of the image defect.

4 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image diagnosis is processing of identifying a generation factor of the image defect.

5 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image diagnosis is processing of identifying a component related to an image formation unit that serves as a generation factor of the image defect.

6 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the setting includes a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not.

7 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a setting as to whether to execute the image diagnosis or not is one of a setting not to automatically determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not, a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not in accordance with detecting the image defect, and a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not after an inspection corresponding to the print job ends.

8 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the setting includes a setting to determine a type of the image defect in executing the image diagnosis.

9 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a setting to determine a type of the image defect in executing the image diagnosis is one of a setting to execute the image diagnosis for all of a first type indicating a positional shift, a second type indicating a dirt by a streak, and a third type indicating a dirt by a point and a setting to execute the image diagnosis for a designated type among the first, second, and third types.

10 . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image diagnosis is executed based on the setting.

11 . A control method of an inspection apparatus connected with an image forming apparatus, the inspection apparatus including a scanner, the control method comprising:

obtaining, by the scanner, inspection target image data by reading a printed matter printed on a recording sheet by the image forming apparatus based on a print job;

inspecting whether an image defect is in the inspection target image data obtained by the scanner;

executing, based on detecting the image defect from the inspection target image data, an image diagnosis of diagnosing a defect portion of the image forming apparatus based on a type of the image defect included in the inspection target image data; and

setting at least one setting regarding the image diagnosis,

wherein the setting includes a setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis, and

the setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis is one of a setting to automatically execute the image diagnosis and a setting to execute the image diagnosis upon receiving an instruction to execute the image diagnosis.

12 . The control method according to claim 11 , wherein the defect portion of the image forming apparatus is diagnosed based on image data of a plurality of pages obtained by the scanner.

13 . An inspection system including an image forming apparatus, the inspection system comprising:

a scanner configured to obtain inspection target image data by reading a printed matter printed on a recording sheet by the image forming apparatus based on a print job; and

a controller having a processor which executes instructions stored in a memory, the controller being configured to:

inspect whether an image defect is in the inspection target image data obtained by the scanner;

execute, based on detecting the image defect included in the inspection target image data by the inspecting, an image diagnosis of diagnosing a defect portion of the image forming apparatus based on a type of the image defect included in the inspection target image data; and

set at least one setting regarding the image diagnosis,

wherein the setting includes a setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis, and

the setting regarding execution of the image diagnosis is one of a setting to automatically execute the image diagnosis and a setting to execute the image diagnosis upon receiving an instruction to execute the image diagnosis.

14 . The inspection system according to claim 13 , wherein the controller diagnoses the defect portion of the image forming apparatus based on image data of a plurality of pages obtained by reading executed by the scanner.

15 . The inspection system according to claim 13 , wherein the setting includes a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not.

16 . The inspection system according to claim 15 , wherein a setting as to whether to execute the image diagnosis or not is one of a setting not to automatically determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not, a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not in accordance with detecting the image defect, and a setting to determine whether the image diagnosis is necessary or not after an inspection corresponding to the print job ends.

17 . The inspection system according to claim 13 , wherein the setting includes a setting to determine a type of the image defect in executing the image diagnosis.

18 . The inspection system according to claim 13 , wherein a setting to determine a type of the image defect in executing the image diagnosis is one of a setting to execute the image diagnosis for all of a first type indicating a positional shift, a second type indicating a dirt by a streak, and a third type indicating a dirt by a point and a setting to execute the image diagnosis for a designated type among the first, second, and third types.

19 . The inspection system according to claim 13 , wherein the image diagnosis is executed based on the setting.

Priority Claims (2)
JP 2022-105514 · Jun 30, 2022 · national
JP 2023-080511 · May 16, 2023 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 18343663 · Jun 28, 2023
Related Publication 20240248658A1 · Jul 25, 2024
References Cited (4)
US 20200051231A1 · Tsukamoto · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200301336A1 · Tsuchiya · 2020 [cited by examiner]
JP 2017034298A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018004690A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,626,355