Disclosed here is a system enabling users/customers to receive an objective assessment of the performance of a printer. This is accomplished by comparing a quality score of an earlier-in-time image with a quality score of a later-in-time image. A processor analyzes each image based on several criteria and uses various image-analysis methods, to flag errors within an image. A numeric quality score, based on the number of errors, is provided to the user to objectively evaluate whether the printer has degraded or not. Thus, the user can objectively present an argument to a salesperson or manufacturer that the user is due a remedy.

An image forming apparatus includes circuitry to cause a reading device to read a printed matter printed by a printing apparatus based on print data to generate a first image to be inspected, detect a defect on the printed matter based on a master image and the first image, the master image being generated from the print data of the printed matter, detect a defect on a second image to be inspected and a defect state of the defect, the second image being generated by the reading device without sheet passage, set a region including a position of the defect detected on the second image to an inspection exclusion region to be excluded from detection of a defect on the first image, and notify a user in a case that the defect state is determined to exceed a threshold value.

Techniques for interactively determining/visualizing the color content of a source image and how the corresponding image data is mapped to device colors are described herein. For example, the color content of a digital image can be converted between different color spaces to identify gamut limitations of an output device (e.g., a printing assembly), discover color(s) that cannot be accurately reproduced, etc. Color space conversions enable the transformation of the color content of the digital image from device-specific colorants to a device-independent representation (and vice versa). In some embodiments, these transformations are facilitated using lookup tables that are implemented in graphical processing unit-resident memory.

Techniques for interactively determining/visualizing the color content of a source image and how the corresponding image data is mapped to device colors are described herein. For example, the color content of a digital image can be converted between different color spaces to identify gamut limitations of an output device (e.g., a printing assembly), discover color(s) that cannot be accurately reproduced, etc. Color space conversions enable the transformation of the color content of the digital image from device-specific colorants to a device-independent representation (and vice versa). In some embodiments, these transformations are facilitated using lookup tables that are implemented in graphical processing unit-resident memory.

Printing symbols on media is described. Sequential parts of a symbol are marked onto each of multiple corresponding sequential segments of the medium. A characteristic of each of the sequential symbol parts is evaluated. A speed is monitored with which the medium is moved upon the marking of each of the sequential symbol parts onto each of the corresponding sequential segments of the medium. An image, captured in relation to the evaluation, is adjusted based on the monitored speed. Adjusting the captured image may include setting a rate at which the evaluation of the characteristic of each of the sequential symbol parts is performed based on the monitored speed or alternatively, predicting a distortion in the evaluated characteristic of each of the sequential symbol parts corresponding to the monitored speed, and applying a change to the captured image corresponding to, and ameliorating the predicted distortion.

An image capturing unit includes a sensor unit that image-captures a predetermined area including a subject; and a reference chart unit that is arranged in the predetermined area and captured with the subject by the sensor unit.

The detailed technology relates to optical sensors, and more particularly relates to characterizing local behaviors of a sensor, and using such characterization information in a sensor-based system. In a particular arrangement, output signals produced from each of plural sensing elements in a 2D optical sensor are checked to determine whether they tend to differ from output signals produced by one or more neighboring sensing elementswhen combined across plural captured image frames. The results are stored in an associated memory, and can be consulted in determining how image data captured from the sensor should be used. The technology is particularly illustrated in the context of a watermark decoder for a cell phone camera. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A printing system comprising an image forming apparatus and a diagnostic apparatus. The image forming apparatus creates a printed product corresponding to an input image, and the diagnostic apparatus detects an image defect included in the printed product based on a read image obtained by reading the printed product, and the diagnostic apparatus obtains features of the detected image defect in a case where the image defect is detected, and identifies a factor of the image defect based on the obtained features. In the obtaining the features, if a predetermined condition for the detected image defect is satisfied, the image forming apparatus stops creation of a printed product and causes the diagnostic apparatus obtains the features of the image defect based on the read image obtained by reading the printed product.

An inspection system comprising an image forming apparatus that generates a printed material in accordance with a print job including print data and imposition information, and an inspection apparatus inspects the printed material. The inspection apparatus obtains a scan image of the printed material, makes inspection settings for a reference image, performs inspection by comparing the scan image and the reference image, and controls, in a case where the inspection settings include sequential number inspection and the imposition information indicates single-sided printing, to duplicate an inspection region set in the inspection settings for all pages. In a case where the sequential number inspection is set, the inspection apparatus performs data collating inspection for comparing the number set in the inspection settings with a collation value.

An inspection result displaying system acquires a scanned image of a page, which is an inspection target, from among a plurality of pages included in a printed material and acquires a dummy page corresponding to a page, which is not an inspection target, from among the plurality of pages of the printed material. The system displays the scanned image when displaying an inspection result of the page which is an inspection target and displays the dummy page when displaying an inspection result of the page which is not an inspection target.