IMAGE TEST APPARATUS AND IMAGE TEST SYSTEM

• US 20140270396A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: MIYAGAWA, Hiromitsu, FUKASE, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00031 Testing, i.e. determining the result of a trial H04N1/00029 takes precedence; using test signals for transmission mode changing H04N2201/33371
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00047 using an image not specifically designed for the purpose
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00076 locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00631 Ejecting or stacking H04N1/00641 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An image test apparatus acquires a result of determination on a defect in a read image obtained by reading an image formed and output on a recording medium, based on a difference between the read image and a test image, acquires a sheet type of a sheet from which the read image is read, calculates a stacked position of a sheet of a defective read image in which the defect is detected among sheets stacked on a discharge tray serving as a discharge destination of the sheet of the read image, on the discharge tray based on the result of the determination on the defect in the read image and based on the acquired sheet type, and controls an indicating unit, which indicates a height at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the sheets are stacked on the discharge tray, based on the calculated stacked position.

Claims

1. An image test apparatus that tests a read image obtained by reading an image formed and output on a recording medium, the image test apparatus comprising:

a test result acquiring unit configured to acquire a result of determination on a defect in the read image based on a difference between the read image and a test image for testing the read image;

a sheet type acquiring unit configured to acquire a sheet type of a sheet from which the read image is read;

a stacked position calculator configured to calculate a stacked position of a sheet of a defective read image, which is an image in which the defect is detected in the determination on the defect among sheets stacked on a discharge tray serving as a discharge destination of the sheet of the read image, on the discharge tray based on the result of the determination on the defect in the read image and based on the acquired sheet type;

an indicating unit configured to indicate a height at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the sheets are stacked on the discharge tray; and

an indication control unit configured to control the indicating unit based on the calculated stacked position.

2. The image test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stacked position calculator calculates the stacked position in accordance with pressure applied to the sheet of the defective read image due to weights of other sheets stacked on the sheet of the defective read image.

3. The image test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit configurd to display information on the defective read image.

4. The image test apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information on the defective read image is a list of the defective read image.

5. The image test apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display control unit displays information on the defective read image on a display unit of the image test apparatus.

6. The image test apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display control unit displays information on the defective read image on a display unit of a portable information processing terminal connected to the image test apparatus.

7. An image test system that tests a read image obtained by reading an image formed and output on a recording medium, the image test system comprising:

a test result acquiring unit configured to acquire a result of determination on a defect in the read image based on a difference between the read image and a test image for testing the read image;

a sheet type acquiring unit configured to acquire a sheet type of a sheet from which the read image is read;

a stacked position calculator configured to calculate a stacked position of a sheet of a defective read image, which is an image in which the defect is detected in the determination on the defect among sheets stacked on a discharge tray serving as a discharge destination of the sheet of the read image, on the discharge tray based on the result of the determination on the defect in the read image and based on the acquired sheet type;

an indicating unit that configured to indicate a height at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the sheets are stacked on the discharge tray; and

an indication control unit configured to control the indicating unit based on the calculated stacked position.

8. An image test system including an image test apparatus that performs a test to determine a defect in a read image obtained by reading an image formed and output on a recording medium, and including an information processing terminal that is enabled to communicate with the image test apparatus and that has an imaging function, the image test system comprising:

an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a captured image captured and generated by the imaging function;

an indicator image extracting unit configured to extract, from the acquired captured image, a predetermined indicator image displayed based on a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a stacked position of tested sheets;

a test result acquiring unit configured to acquire information on test results of the tested sheets;

a defect position calculator configured to calculate a position of a defective sheet in which a defect is detected among the stacked tested sheets based on the information on the test results;

a coordinate transform unit configured to generate transform information for transforming a coordinate system of the calculated position of the defective sheet into a coordinate system of the captured image based on the extracted indicator image, and transform the calculated position of the defective sheet into the coordinate system of the captured image based on the generated transform information; and

an output image generating unit configured to generate an image by superimposing, on the acquired captured image, position identification information for identifying a stacked position of a sheet corresponding to a defective read image in which the defect is detected among the stacked tested sheets based on the position of the defective sheet that has been transformed into the coordinate system of the captured image.

9. The image test system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined positional relationship indicates that a sheet on which the indicator image is formed and output is stacked on the tested sheets.

10. The image test system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined positional relationship indicates that the indicator image is arranged in a predetermined position different from a position where the tested sheets are stacked.

11. The image test system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an image determining unit configured tot determine whether an image on a sheet generated by capturing each of the stacked tested sheets by the imaging function corresponds to the defective read image, wherein

when it is determined that the image on the sheet corresponds to the defective read image, the output image generating unit generates an image by superimposing a notification image on the captured image, the notification image being an image for indicating that the image on the sheet corresponds to the defective read image.

12. The image test system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an image storage unit configured to store therein the acquired captured images; and

an image specifying unit configured to specify, from the stored captured images, a captured image corresponding to the captured image captured and generated by the imaging function, wherein

the indicator image extracting unit extracts the indicator image from the specified captured image.

13. The image test system according to claim 8, wherein the output image generating unit generates an image by superimposing information on the defective read image on the captured image based on the acquired information on the test results.

14. The image test system according to claim 8, wherein the output image generating unit generates an image by superimposing the defective read image on the captured image based on the acquired information on the test results.

15. The image test system according to claim 8, wherein

the indicator image contains coded result identification information for identifying the test results, and

the test result acquiring unit acquires information on the test results based on the coded result identification information contained in the extracted indicator image.