JP2018074373A - Electronic apparatus and image evaluation program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To probably evaluate an application related to an image formation.SOLUTION: Image data of an evaluation object by a page description language is stored by an HDD 106. The image data of the evaluation object is executed by an image processing by an image processing section 117, and obtains printable first image data. An image comparison part 118 compares the first image data and second image data of a printable evaluation value. A system control part 121 displays a comparison result by the image comparison part 118 to a panel part 105. Thus, since the image processing section 117 executes the image processing of the image data of the evaluation object, data deterioration is not generated in the printable first image data to be image processed. The comparison of the second image data as an evaluation reference and the fist image data of the evaluation object to be image processed can be probably performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus and an image evaluation program suitable for evaluating an application related to image formation.

  For example, in an image forming apparatus which is an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) such as a multi-function printer or a multifunction machine, there are models equipped with a print function, a copy function, a FAX function, a data transmission / reception function via a network, and the like. By the way, in an image forming apparatus, for example, when a printer driver related to image print control is upgraded, an application related to the upgraded image formation may be evaluated.

  In order to evaluate such an application, in Patent Document 1, image data of an evaluation standard read by a document reading apparatus is stored in a frame memory, and image data serving as an evaluation standard from a host apparatus is stored in a frame memory for a printer. A digital multi-function peripheral that develops and compares the image data of the frame memory with the image data of the frame memory for the printer one dot at a time by the image comparison unit, and prints the comparison data compared by the printing device or transmits it to the host device Has proposed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-228250

  In the above-described digital multi-function peripheral disclosed in Patent Document 1, the image comparison unit prints comparison data, which is a comparison result between the image data in the frame memory and the image data in the frame memory for the printer, with the printing apparatus, thereby enabling the document reading apparatus Comparison with the image read in step 1 can be performed visually. Further, by transmitting comparison data as a comparison result by the image comparison unit to the host device, it is possible to notify the operator of the host device whether printing is appropriate.

  However, in this digital multi-function peripheral, a document on which evaluation reference image data is printed is read by a document reader. For this reason, for example, when the reading accuracy of the document reading device is deteriorated or dust is attached to the document reading device, there is a possibility that the image data read by the document reading device is deteriorated. In this case, there is a problem that it is not possible to appropriately evaluate an application related to image formation by comparison with image data serving as an evaluation standard from the host device.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device and an image evaluation program capable of solving the above-described problems.

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes a panel unit, a storage device that stores image data to be evaluated in a page description language, and image processing that performs image processing on the image data to be evaluated to form printable first image data. A comparison unit, an image comparison unit that compares the first image data with printable second image data of an evaluation criterion, and a system control unit that displays a comparison result by the image comparison unit on the panel unit It is characterized by that.
In addition, a printer unit may be provided, and the system control unit may cause the printer unit to print a comparison result between the first image data and the second image data.
Further, the system control unit causes the image processing unit to add information indicating a mismatched portion to the first image data when a comparison result by the image comparison unit is inconsistent.
An image evaluation program according to the present invention includes a step of storing image data to be evaluated in a page description language by a storage device, and a first image that can be printed by performing image processing on the image data to be evaluated by an image processing unit. A step of making data, a step of comparing the first image data with the second image data of the printable evaluation criterion by an image comparison unit, and a comparison result by the image comparison unit by the system control unit The step of displaying on the panel unit is executed by a computer that controls the electronic device.
In the electronic device and the image evaluation program of the present invention, the image data to be evaluated in the page description language is stored by the storage device, the image data to be evaluated is image-processed by the image processing unit, and the first image that can be printed The image comparison unit compares the first image data with the printable second image data of the evaluation standard, and the system control unit displays the comparison result by the image comparison unit on the panel unit.
In this way, since the image processing unit performs image processing on the image data to be evaluated, there is no data deterioration in the printable first image data that has been subjected to image processing. The comparison with the first image data to be evaluated subjected to the image processing can be appropriately performed.

  According to the electronic device and the image evaluation program of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately compare the second image data serving as an evaluation criterion and the first image data to be evaluated subjected to image processing. Appropriate evaluation of applications related to.

1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic apparatus of the present invention is applied to an MFP. FIG. 2A illustrates an overview of comparison of image data by the image comparison unit in FIG. 1. FIG. 2A illustrates an image file of evaluation reference image data (for example, raster data) received from the information distribution server in FIG. FIG. 2B shows an image file of first image data (for example, raster data) obtained by performing image processing (rasterization) on the image data to be evaluated in the page description language received from the host terminal by the image processing unit of FIG. FIG. 2C shows an image file when the comparison result by the image comparison unit is coincident, and FIG. 2D is a diagram showing an image file when the comparison result by the image comparison unit is non-coincidence. . 3 is a flowchart for explaining image evaluation processing by the MFP of FIG. 1.

  Hereinafter, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. An example of the electronic device in the following description is an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) which is a composite peripheral device equipped with a print function, a copy function, a FAX function, a data transmission / reception function via a network, and the like. And

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the MFP 100 is connected to an information distribution server 200 that distributes information such as image data of an evaluation reference via a network 300 such as the Internet. Note that the image data to be evaluated distributed from the information distribution server 200 is, for example, raster data. The information distribution server 200 manages evaluation standard image data for each model of the MFP 100, and distributes evaluation standard image data corresponding to the model information included in the distribution request from the MFP 100 to the MFP 100. When the MFP 100 cannot receive the image data to be evaluated from the information distribution server 200 (for example, when the MFP 100 is used offline), the evaluation standard image data or the like is not shown, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory (not shown). You may import from a storage device.

  The MFP 100 is connected to the host terminal 400 via an in-house LAN (local area network) or the like. Host terminal 400 provides MFP 100 with image data to be evaluated in a page description language. Note that when the MFP 100 cannot receive the image data to be evaluated from the host terminal 400 (for example, when the MFP 100 is used offline), the image data to be evaluated may be fetched from a storage device such as a USB memory (not shown).

  Here, the MFP 100 includes a control unit 110 that controls operations of the scanner unit 101, the printer unit 102, the FAX unit 103, the I / F (interface) 104, the panel unit 105, and the HDD 106.

  The scanner unit 101 is a device that converts a document image (not shown) read by an image sensor (not shown) into digital image data and inputs the digital image data. The printer unit 102 is a device that prints an image on a sheet (not shown) based on print data output from the control unit 110. The FAX unit 103 is a device that transmits data output from the control unit 110 to a facsimile as a counterpart through a telephone line, and receives data from the counterpart facsimile and inputs the data into the control unit 110.

  The I / F 104 is connected to the information distribution server 200 via the network 300. The I / F 104 is connected to the host terminal 400 via an in-house LAN. The I / F 104 may be in charge of communication with other MFPs and user terminals (not shown) or may be in charge of communication with a content server, a web server, etc. (not shown). The panel unit 105 is a device such as a touch panel that performs a print function, a copy function, a FAX function, a data transmission / reception function via the network 300, and various settings. The HDD 106 is a storage device that stores application programs for providing various functions of the MFP 100. Further, the HDD 106 has a user box for storing, for example, a print job registered from the user terminal side and print correspondence data in a page description language.

  Control unit 110 is a processor that controls the overall operation of MFP 100 by executing an application program such as an authentication program, an image forming program, and a control program. The control unit 110 includes a scanner control unit 111, a printer control unit 112, a FAX (Facsimile) control unit 113, a communication control unit 114, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 115, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) 116, and the like. Section 117, image comparison section 118, panel operation control section 119, HDD control section 120, and system control section 121. These are connected to the data bus 122.

  The scanner control unit 111 controls the reading operation of the scanner unit 101. The printer control unit 112 controls the printing operation of the printer unit 102. The FAX control unit 113 controls data transmission / reception operations by the FAX unit 103. The communication control unit 114 controls transmission / reception of data and the like via the network 300 via the I / F 104.

  The RAM 115 is a work memory for executing a program. The RAM 115 stores print data (for example, raster data) that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 117. The EEPROM 116 stores a control program for checking the operation of each unit.

  The image processing unit 117 performs image processing (rasterization) on the image data read by the scanner unit 101. The image processing unit 117 performs image processing (rasterization) on the print target data registered in the user box of the HDD 106. The image processing unit 117 performs image processing (rasterization) on the image data to be evaluated in the page description language received from the host terminal 400. In the following, the image data to be evaluated subjected to image processing (rasterization) by the image processing unit 117 is referred to as first image data.

  The image comparison unit 118 receives the evaluation-standard image data received from the information distribution server 200 (for example, raster data: hereinafter referred to as second image data) and the first evaluation target image processed (rasterized) by the image processing unit 117. Compare the image data. In addition, the image comparison unit 118 notifies the system control unit 121 of the comparison result. When comparing the first image data to be evaluated with the second image data to be evaluated, for example, the image comparison unit 118 performs data comparison for each pixel. Note that the image comparison unit 118 may compare the two image data by obtaining hash values of the respective image data using a hash function such as MD-2, MD-5, or SHA-1.

  The panel operation control unit 119 controls the display operation of the panel unit 105. Further, the panel operation control unit 119 receives the start of printing, copying, FAX, data transmission / reception via the network 300, and the like via the panel unit 105. Further, the panel operation control unit 119 causes the panel unit 105 to display a comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 based on an instruction from the system control unit 121.

  The system control unit 121 controls the cooperative operation of each unit. In addition, when copying or printing is selected via the panel unit 105, the system control unit 121 reads a document by the scanner unit 101 or prints a sheet by the printer unit 102 via the scanner control unit 111 or the printer control unit 112. To control printing. In addition, when the panel operation control unit 119 receives an evaluation start instruction via the panel unit 105, the system control unit 121 requests the information distribution server 200 to distribute the second image data of the evaluation criterion. Also, the system control unit 121 provides the image comparison unit 118 with the first image data to be evaluated that has been subjected to image processing (rasterization) by the image processing unit 117 and the second image of the evaluation criterion received from the information distribution server 200. Instructs comparison with data.

  Next, an overview of comparison of image data by the image comparison unit 118 will be described with reference to FIG. First, FIG. 2A shows an image file 200 a of second image data of evaluation criteria received from the information distribution server 200. FIG. 2B shows an image file 400 a of first image data obtained by image processing (rasterizing) the image data to be evaluated in the page description language received from the host terminal 400 by the image processing unit 117.

  The image comparison unit 118 compares the second image data of the image file 200a with the first image data of the image file 400a based on an instruction from the system control unit 121. In this case, for example, the image comparison unit 118 performs data comparison for each pixel of the image data of the image files 200a and 400a, and if they match, the image comparison unit 118 notifies the system control unit 121 that the comparison result is the same. If it does not match, the system control unit 121 is notified that the comparison result does not match.

  FIG. 2C shows the image file 200b when the comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 is the same. That is, when the comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 is coincident, the image file 200b does not include, for example, indication of a mismatched portion. On the other hand, FIG. 2D shows an image file 200c in the case where the comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 does not match. That is, when the comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 does not match, the image file 200c includes, for example, indication of a mismatched portion. Note that the mismatched portion indicates image data of pixels that do not match, for example, by data comparison for each pixel, and can be displayed by hatching as shown in the figure, for example. In addition, the image data of pixels that do not match is not limited to hatching, and data of a specific color (for example, red) may be added. As described above, when the image file 200c whose comparison result does not match is displayed on the panel unit 105 or printed on a sheet by adding information indicating the mismatched portion by hatching or specific color data, the image comparison unit The comparison result by 118 can be easily confirmed, and an application related to image formation can be appropriately evaluated. It should be noted that the image processing unit 117 executes hatching of inconsistent portions and processing for adding specific color data to image data of non-matching pixels based on an instruction from the system control unit 121.

  Next, the image evaluation process will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, it is assumed that image data to be evaluated in the page description language from the host terminal 400 is stored in the HDD 106 of the MFP 100.

(Step S101)
The system control unit 121 determines whether there is an evaluation start instruction.
In this case, the system control unit 121 determines that there is no evaluation start instruction if there is no notification from the panel operation control unit 119 that the evaluation start instruction has been received via the panel unit 105 (step S101: No). ).
On the other hand, the system control unit 121 determines that there is an evaluation start instruction if there is a notification from the panel operation control unit 119 indicating that the evaluation start instruction has been received via the panel unit 105 (step S101). : Yes), the process proceeds to step S102.

(Step S102)
The system control unit 121 requests distribution of the second image data of the evaluation criterion.
In this case, the system control unit 121 causes the communication control unit 114 to request the information distribution server 200 to distribute the second image data of the evaluation criterion. At this time, communication control unit 114 includes model information indicating the model of MFP 100 in the distribution request.

(Step S103)
The system control unit 121 determines whether or not the second image data for evaluation criteria has been received.
In this case, the system control unit 121 determines that the second image data based on the evaluation standard has not been received if there is no notification from the communication control unit 114 indicating that the second image data based on the evaluation standard has been received (step S1). S103: No).
On the other hand, if there is a notification from the communication control unit 114 indicating that the second image data of the evaluation criterion has been received, the system control unit 121 determines that the second image data of the evaluation criterion has been received (step S1). (S103: Yes), the process proceeds to step S104.

(Step S104)
The system control unit 121 stores the information in the HDD 106.
In this case, the system control unit 121 causes the HDD control unit 120 to store the second image data of the evaluation criterion received by the communication control unit 114 in the HDD 106.

(Step S105)
The system control unit 121 instructs image processing of image data to be evaluated.
In this case, the system control unit 121 instructs the image processing unit 117 to perform image processing on the image data to be evaluated in the page description language stored in the HDD 106.
At this time, the image processing unit 117 performs image processing (rasterization) on the image data to be evaluated in the page description language stored in the HDD 106.

(Step S106)
The system control unit 121 instructs the comparison between the first image data and the second image data.
In this case, the system control unit 121 causes the image comparison unit 118 to perform the first image data to be evaluated that has been subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit 117, the second image data for the evaluation criterion received from the information distribution server 200, and Instruct the comparison of.
At this time, the image comparison unit 118 compares the first image data to be evaluated subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit 117 and the second image data of the evaluation criterion received from the information distribution server 200, and the comparison result is obtained. Notify the system controller 121.
Note that the image comparison unit 118 may compare the two image data by obtaining hash values of the respective image data using a hash function such as MD-2, MD-5, or SHA-1.

(Step S107)
The system control unit 121 determines whether the comparison is complete.
In this case, the system control unit 121 determines that the comparison is not completed if there is no notification indicating the completion of the comparison from the image comparison unit 118 (step S107: No).
On the other hand, the system control unit 121 determines that the comparison is completed if there is a notification from the image comparison unit 118 indicating the completion of the comparison (step S107: Yes), and proceeds to step S108.

(Step S108)
The system control unit 121 displays the comparison result.
In this case, the system control unit 121 instructs the panel operation control unit 119 to display the comparison result on the panel unit 105. At this time, if the comparison result is the same, the panel operation control unit 119 causes the panel unit 105 to display, for example, the image file 200b that does not include the indication of the mismatched portion shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the comparison result does not match, the panel operation control unit 119 causes the panel unit 105 to display the image file 200c including the indication of the mismatched portion shown in FIG. 2D, for example.

(Step S109)
The system control unit 121 determines whether there is an instruction to print the comparison result.
In this case, the system control unit 121 determines that there is no instruction to print the comparison result if there is no notification from the panel operation control unit 119 that there is an instruction to print the comparison result via the panel unit 105 ( Step S109: No).
On the other hand, the system control unit 121 determines that there is an instruction to print the comparison result if there is a notification indicating that there is an instruction to print the comparison result via the panel unit 105 from the panel operation control unit 119. (Step S109: Yes), the process proceeds to Step S110.

(Step S110)
The system control unit 121 prints the comparison result.
In this case, the system control unit 121 instructs the printer control unit 112 to print the comparison result.
At this time, if the comparison result is the same, the printer control unit 112 causes the printer unit 102 to print, for example, the image file 200b that does not include the indication of the mismatched portion shown in FIG.
On the other hand, if the comparison result does not match, the printer control unit 112 causes the printer unit 102 to print the image file 200c including, for example, the indication of the mismatched portion shown in FIG.

(Step S111)
The system control unit 121 determines whether printing has been completed.
In this case, the system control unit 121 determines that the printing has not been completed if there is no notification indicating the completion of printing from the printer control unit 112 (step S111: No).
On the other hand, the system control unit 121 determines that the printing is completed if there is a notification indicating the completion of printing from the printer control unit 112 (step S111: Yes), and ends the process.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the HDD 106 (storage device) stores the image data to be evaluated in the page description language, the image processing unit 117 performs image processing on the image data to be evaluated, and can print the first data. The image comparison unit 118 compares the first image data with the printable second image data of the evaluation standard, and the system control unit 121 compares the comparison result by the image comparison unit 118 with the panel unit 105. To display.

  As described above, since the image processing unit 117 performs image processing on the image data to be evaluated, data deterioration does not occur in the printable first image data that has been subjected to the image processing. And the first image data to be evaluated subjected to image processing can be appropriately compared, and an application relating to image formation can be appropriately evaluated.

  In this embodiment, the case where the electronic apparatus is applied to the MFP 100 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the version of an application such as a driver is upgraded, such as a multi-function printer, a PC (personal computer), or a smartphone. You may apply to another electronic device.

100 MFP
101 Scanner unit 102 Printer unit 103 FAX unit 104 I / F
105 Panel 106 HDD
110 Control Unit 111 Scanner Control Unit 112 Printer Control Unit 113 FAX Control Unit 114 Communication Control Unit 115 RAM
116 EEPROM
117 Image processing unit 118 Image comparison unit 119 Panel operation control unit 120 HDD control unit 121 System control unit 122 Data bus 200 Information distribution servers 200a to 200c, 400a Image file 300 Network 400 Host terminal

Claims (4)

A panel section;
A storage device for storing image data to be evaluated in a page description language;
An image processing unit that performs image processing on the image data to be evaluated and sets the first image data as printable;
An image comparison unit that compares the first image data with printable second image data of an evaluation criterion;
An electronic apparatus comprising: a system control unit configured to display a comparison result by the image comparison unit on the panel unit. Equipped with a printer
The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system control unit causes the printer unit to print a comparison result between the first image data and the second image data.   The system control unit causes the image processing unit to add information indicating a mismatched portion to the first image data when the comparison result by the image comparison unit is mismatched. 2. The electronic device according to 2. Storing image data to be evaluated in a page description language by a storage device;
A step of performing image processing on the image data to be evaluated by the image processing unit to obtain printable first image data;
A step of comparing the first image data with printable evaluation second image data by an image comparison unit;
An image evaluation program for causing a computer that controls an electronic device to execute a step of displaying a comparison result by the image comparison unit on the panel unit by a system control unit.

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