JP7180530B2 - Printed matter management system, printed matter management method, and printed matter management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printed matter management system, a printed matter management method, and a printed matter management program, and more particularly to a printed matter management system, a printed matter management method, and a printed matter management program for specifying the position of printed matter and managing the printed matter.

When a printed matter is created in a printing factory, it is necessary to move the printed matter within the printing factory because post-processing and the like are performed by a post-processing machine in addition to printing processing by the printing machine. Since this movement of printed matter is done manually by the worker, it may not be possible to identify the position of the printed matter when there is an error in handing over the work of the worker, or when there is a rush of requests. A problem arises that work is delayed.

Regarding a technique for preventing such loss of printed matter, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200001 discloses that an image of a paper discharge section when printed matter is printed is captured by a network camera, and the user's print information and the captured image are captured in advance. Information is linked and stored, and captured images periodically transmitted from a network camera are compared with stored captured images, and if there is corresponding user information, a left-behind item that meets the conditions is found. An information processing device that performs notification is disclosed.

JP 2017-188856 A

As a method for specifying the position of printed matter, for example, a reader is installed in the paper feed section or paper discharge section of a printing machine or post-processing machine, and a barcode or QR code (registered trademark, hereinafter omitted) pre-printed on the paper is read. ) by a reader to identify the position of the printed matter. However, with this method, it is only possible to determine whether the printed matter has been fed to the paper feed unit or discharged to the paper output unit. Loss and work delay cannot be reliably prevented.

As another method, there is a method of specifying the position of printed matter by photographing an image of a paper discharge unit with a network camera and comparing the photographed image with a pre-stored image, as in Patent Document 1. , in this method, there is no need to print the code information on the paper. However, with this method, it is only possible to determine whether or not the printed matter has been ejected to the paper ejection section, and it is not possible to specify the position of the printed matter that has not been brought into the device. cannot be prevented.

As another method, there is a method in which the operator inputs the work status to the print management system in each process. In addition, this method only shows the work status and cannot specify the position of the printed matter, so it is not possible to reliably prevent the loss of the printed matter and the delay of the work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main object is to specify the position of printed matter without performing complicated operations, and to reliably prevent loss of printed matter and delay in work. To provide a printed matter management system, a printed matter management method, and a printed matter management program capable of

One aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job, a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices, and a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices. and a printed material position management device that manages the position of the printed material created based on the job, wherein the printed material position management device analyzes an image obtained by photographing the area obtained from the camera. and an image processing unit that detects a worker and identifies the position of the worker, based on the progress of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the position of the worker identified by the image processing unit. and a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the printed matter.

One aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job, a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices, and a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices. and a printed matter position management device for managing the position of printed matter created based on the job, wherein the printed matter position management device photographs the area acquired from the camera. a first process of analyzing an image to detect a worker and specifying the position of the worker; progress of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the worker specified in the first process; and a second process of specifying the position of the printed matter based on the position.

One aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job, a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices, and a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices. , a printed matter position management device for managing the position of printed matter created based on the job, and a printed matter management program that operates in a printed matter management system, wherein the printed matter position management device stores the area acquired from the camera. a first process of detecting a worker by analyzing the photographed image and identifying the position of the worker, the progress of the job obtained from the printing process control apparatus, and the worker identified in the first process A second process of specifying the position of the printed matter is executed based on the position of the printed matter.

According to the printed matter management system, the printed matter management method, and the printed matter management program of the present invention, it is possible to specify the position of the printed matter without performing complicated operations, and to reliably prevent the loss of the printed matter and the delay of the work.

The reason for this is that there are multiple devices that process jobs, a printing process control device that manages the progress of jobs in multiple devices, a camera that captures the area containing multiple devices, and a job-based and a printed matter position management device that manages the position of the printed matter, the printed matter position management device analyzes an image of the area captured by the camera, detects the worker, and determines the position of the worker. and a position specifying unit for specifying the position of the printed matter based on the progress of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the position of the worker specified by the image processing unit. be.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printed matter management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing process control apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printed matter position management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing press according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a display example of a printing device management tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a display example of the job management tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. It is a display example of the printed matter position management tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is an example of an image captured by a network camera according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating mapping of a photographed image to a print position management tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating association between captured images and devices according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating association between a device and a printed matter position management tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a figure explaining association|related of the picked-up image and worker which concern on one Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining association|related with the apparatus and worker which concern on one Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating associations among shooting information, device information, and job information according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a display example of the printed matter position management tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flow chart diagram showing a process for specifying the position of a printed matter according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of specifying the position of printed matter using a QR code according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example when a printed matter according to one embodiment of the present invention is taken out of the management area; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example when the printed matter according to one embodiment of the present invention is left;

As described in Background Art, when printed matter is created in a printing factory, post-processing and the like are performed in addition to the printing process. When there is an incomplete transfer of work, or during a busy period when requests are flooded, the position of the printed matter may not be specified, resulting in problems such as loss of the printed matter and delay in work.

In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to identify the position of the paper. There is a method of specifying the position of the printed matter by reading the code information with a reader, but this method only indicates whether the printed matter has been fed to the paper supply unit or discharged to the paper discharge unit. It is not possible to specify the position of printed matter that is not brought into the device.

There is also a method of identifying the position of a printed material by photographing an image of a paper discharge unit with a network camera and comparing the photographed image with a pre-stored image, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200004. , it is only possible to know whether or not the printed matter has been discharged to the paper discharge unit, and it is not possible to specify the position of the printed matter that has not been brought into the device.

There is also a method in which the operator inputs the work status to the print management system in each process, but this method increases the work of the operator and becomes complicated. In addition, this method only shows the work status and cannot specify the position of the printed matter.

In other words, with the conventional method, it is possible to identify the printed matter being processed by the equipment, but it is not possible to identify the position of the printed matter that is not brought into the equipment, so it is possible to reliably prevent the loss of the printed matter and the delay of the work. I had a problem that I couldn't do it.

Here, since a network camera is installed in the printing factory for the purpose of monitoring, etc., in one embodiment of the present invention, this network camera is used to directly identify the position of the printed matter. Instead, the position of each device and the position of each worker in the printing factory are specified, and the position of the printed matter is specified from these positions and the progress of the job.

Specifically, a plurality of devices that perform processing based on the job, a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices, a camera that captures the area containing the plurality of devices, and a In a printed matter management system comprising a printed matter position management device that manages the position of a printed matter to be created, the printed matter position management device analyzes an image of an area captured by a camera, and assigns a worker and, if necessary, a plurality of The image processing unit detects the equipment, identifies the operator and, if necessary, the positions of multiple equipment, and the job progress obtained from the printing process control device and the operator identified by the image processing unit and a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the printed material based on the positions of the plurality of devices.

By performing such control, it is possible to grasp the physical position of the printed matter, thereby preventing the loss of the printed matter, the stagnation of the work, and the like.

In order to describe the embodiment of the present invention in more detail, a printed matter management system, a printed matter management method, and a printed matter management program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the printed matter management system of this embodiment, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are block diagrams showing the configurations of the printing process management device, the printed matter position management device, and the printer, respectively. 5 to 7 are display examples of the printing device management tool, job management tool, and print position management tool, respectively, and FIG. 8 is an example of an image captured by a network camera. 9 to 14 are diagrams for explaining the association of various types of information, and FIG. 15 is a display example of the printed matter position management tool. FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the process of specifying the position of printed matter according to this embodiment, and FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printed matter management system 10 of this embodiment comprises a printing process management device 20, a printed matter position management device 30, a printing machine 40, a finishing machine 50, a network camera 60, etc., which are arranged in a printing factory. consists of These are connected via communication networks such as LANs (Local Area Networks) and WANs (Wide Area Networks) defined by standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), token ring, and FDDI (Fiber-Distributed Data Interface). Each device will be described in detail below.

[Printing process control device]
The printing process management device 20 is a computer device that runs a printing process management tool for managing the progress of a job. As shown in FIG. It is composed of a unit 23, a display unit 24, an operation unit 25, and the like.

The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21a and memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 21b and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 21c. (including a printing process management tool) is developed in the RAM 21c and executed to control the overall operation of the printing process management apparatus 20. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2B, the control section 21 (printing process management tool executed by the CPU 21a) functions as a printing device management section (printing device management tool) 26, a job management section (job management tool) 27, and the like. It functions to ascertain the progress of the job (the device that processes the job, the operating status of that device, the job processing status, etc.) and notifies the printed matter position management device 30 .

The printing device management unit 26 (printing device management tool) collects operation status information from the printing machine 40 and post-processing machine 50 in operation via a communication network, and manages each device.

A job management unit (job management tool) 27 receives jobs from operators, distributes jobs to the printing machine 40 and post-processing machine 50, and manages each job.

The printing device management unit 26 and the job management unit 27 may be configured as hardware, or may be configured as a program (printing process management tool) that causes the control unit 21 to function as the printing device management unit 26 and the job management unit 27. , the program may be executed by the CPU 21a.

The storage unit 22 is composed of a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like. Stores jobs to be managed.

The network I/F unit 23 is composed of a NIC (Network Interface Card), a modem, etc., connects the printing process control device 20 to a communication network, and connects to the printed matter position control device 30, the printing machine 40, and the finishing machine 50. Establish

The display unit 24 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (electroluminescence) display, or the like, and displays various screens (for example, a screen of a printing device management tool, a screen of a job management tool, etc., which will be described later). indicate.

The operation unit 25 includes a mouse, a keyboard, and the like, and enables various operations (for example, operations such as job acceptance and job distribution).

[Print position management device]
The printed material position management device 30 is a computer device that operates a printed material position management tool for managing the positions of printed materials created based on jobs. It is composed of a network I/F unit 33, a display unit 34, an operation unit 35, and the like.

The control unit 31 is composed of a CPU 31a and memories such as a ROM 31b and a RAM 31c. , controls the overall operation of the printed matter position management apparatus 30 . The control unit 31 functions as an information management unit 36, an image processing unit 37, a position specifying unit 38, an information display unit 39, etc., as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The information management unit 36 acquires the progress of the job from the printing process control apparatus 20 via the communication network, and also acquires a photographed image of an area including a plurality of devices in the printing factory from the network camera 60. , to manage this information.

The image processing unit 37 analyzes the captured image acquired from the network camera 60, detects the operator and, if necessary, a plurality of devices (printing machine 40 and post-processing machine 50 in this embodiment), and Identify the location of the operator and, if necessary, multiple pieces of equipment.

The position specifying unit 38 acquires the progress status of the job (equipment that processes the job, the operation status of the equipment, the job processing status, etc.) acquired from the printing process control apparatus 20, the operator specified by the image processing unit 37, and the necessary information. The positions of the printed matter in the area are identified based on the positions of the plurality of devices accordingly. In addition, the position specifying unit 38 identifies the printed matter based on the code information arranged on the printed matter as necessary. When it is determined that the printed matter has been taken out of the management area or the printed matter has been left for a predetermined period, a warning is notified to the user (e.g., a warning mail is sent). The user includes the administrator of the printed matter management system 10 and the operator of the device.

The information display unit 39 displays the position of the printed matter in the area specified by the position specifying unit 38 on the display unit 34 . At that time, the positions of the plurality of devices and the positions of the printed matter may be displayed in association with each other, or the positions of the plurality of devices, the worker's position, and the positions of the printed matter may be associated and displayed.

Note that the information management unit 36, the image processing unit 37, the position specifying unit 38, and the information display unit 39 may be configured as hardware, and the control unit 31 may include the information management unit 36, the image processing unit 37, and the position specifying unit 38. , the information display unit 39 (particularly, the image processing unit 37 and the position specifying unit 38) may be configured as a program (printed matter position management tool), and the program may be executed by the CPU 31a.

The storage unit 32 is composed of an HDD, an SSD, or the like, and stores programs for the CPU 31a to control each unit, the progress of jobs acquired from the printing process control apparatus 20, captured images acquired from the network camera 60, and the like.

The network I/F unit 33 is composed of a NIC, a modem, etc., connects the printed matter position management device 30 to a communication network, and establishes connections with the printing process management device 20 and the network camera 60 .

The display unit 34 is composed of a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like, and displays various screens (such as a screen of a print position management tool, which will be described later).

The operation unit 35 is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and enables various operations.

[Printer]
The printer 40 is an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi-Functional Peripherals), and as shown in FIG. 45, an image reading unit 46, a print processing unit 47, and the like.

The control unit 41 includes a CPU 41a and memories such as a ROM 41b and a RAM 41c. The CPU 41a expands a control program stored in the ROM 41b and the storage unit 42 into the RAM 41c and executes the control program, thereby controlling the overall operation of the printing press 40. do.

The storage unit 42 is configured by an HDD, an SSD, or the like, and stores programs for the CPU 41a to control each unit, information on processing functions of the device itself, device information, image data generated by the image processing unit 45, and the like.

The network I/F unit 43 is composed of a NIC, a modem, etc., connects the printing machine 40 to a communication network, and establishes communication with the printing process control apparatus 20 and the like.

A display operation unit (operation panel) 44 is a touch panel or the like provided with a pressure-sensitive or capacitive operation unit (touch sensor) in which transparent electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern on the display unit, and displays various screens related to print processing. to enable various operations related to print processing.

The image processing unit 45 functions as a RIP unit (Raster Image Processor), translates a job to generate intermediate data, and performs rendering to generate bitmap image data. Further, the image processing unit 45 performs screen processing, gradation correction, density balance adjustment, thinning, halftone dot processing, etc. on the image data as necessary. The image processing unit 45 then outputs the generated image data to the print processing unit 47 .

The image reading unit 46 optically reads image data from a document placed on the document table. Devices, etc., and an A/D converter for A/D converting an electric signal. The image reading unit 46 then outputs the read image data to the print processing unit 47 .

The print processing unit 47 executes print processing based on image data acquired from the image processing unit 45 or the image reading unit 46 . The print processing unit 47 includes, for example, an exposure unit that irradiates and exposes laser light based on image data, a photoreceptor drum, a developing unit, a charging unit, a photoreceptor cleaning unit, and a primary transfer roller. an image forming unit that forms toner images of each color; an intermediate transfer belt that is rotated by rollers and functions as an intermediate transfer member that conveys the toner images formed by the image forming unit onto paper; The secondary transfer roller that transfers the toner image onto the paper, the fixing section that fixes the transferred toner image on the paper, and the paper feed roller, registration roller, loop roller, reverse roller, paper discharge roller, etc. that convey the paper. Consists of a transport section, etc.

[Post-processing machine]
The post-processing machine 50 is a device that performs post-processing such as punching, stapling, bookbinding, and cutting on the paper printed by the printing machine 40 .

[Network camera]
One or a plurality of network cameras 60 are installed in the printing factory, constantly monitor an area including a plurality of devices in the printing factory, and transmit captured images to the printed matter position management apparatus 30 in real time. The network camera 60 is installed so that a single unit can photograph an area including a plurality of devices in the printing factory, or multiple units are installed so that it can photograph an area including a plurality of devices in the printing factory. At least, it has the capability to acquire a photographed image with a resolution that allows recognition of a plurality of devices and workers.

1 to 4 show an example of the printed matter management system 10 of this embodiment, and the configuration and control of each device can be changed as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 1, the printer 40 and the post-processing machine 50 are illustrated as a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job. If it is

The print management method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, it is assumed that the operator carries printed matter for each job.

FIG. 5 is a display example of a printing device management tool for managing multiple devices in a printing factory. The printing device management tool can register devices such as the printing machine 40 and the finishing machine 50 managed in the printing factory, and manage the status of each device. As a method of acquiring the status of each device, there is a method of acquiring directly from each device using a general-purpose protocol such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) or JMF (Job Messaging Format) via a communication network, or a method of acquiring directly from each device via a communication network. There is a method of inputting the status of each device using the function of the printing device management tool.

FIG. 6 is a display example of a job management tool for managing jobs. The job management tool manages a list (job name) of managed jobs, status (status), device in use, worker (person in charge), processing flow until job completion, and the like. A manager or operator of the printing factory can grasp the status of the job by looking at the screen displayed by this job management tool. Note that FIG. 6 is an example of information to be managed, and schedules and other information may be managed. 5 and 6 show the case where the screen of the printing device management tool and the screen of the job management tool are displayed separately, but a UI (User Interface) may be used to display them on one screen.

FIG. 7 is a display example of the print position management tool. The printed material position management tool visually displays the positions of the printing machine 40 and post-processing machine 50 managed by the printed material management system 10 and the printed material (job). Note that the display form of the printed material position management tool is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. may be displayed.

FIG. 8 is an example of a photographed image acquired by the network camera 60. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, it is assumed that an image captured by a network camera 60 suspended from the indoor ceiling is used. The network camera 60 transmits captured images to the printed matter position management apparatus 30 at regular intervals.

FIG. 9 is an example of mapping of a photographed image to a print position management tool. First, the image processing unit 37 analyzes the captured image and recognizes the corners of the floor (black circles in the figure). As a recognition method, known pattern matching or machine learning may be used for automatic recognition, pre-stored layout data may be referenced, or an operator may manually specify. The recognized points are associated with the layout diagram of the printed matter position management tool, and used to associate the position of the area in the captured image with the display position in the printed matter position management tool.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating association between captured images and devices. The print position management tool analyzes an image of an area containing multiple devices acquired from the network camera 60, recognizes (detects) the printing press 40 and the finishing machine 50, and identifies (detecting) the printing machine 40 and the finishing machine 50 in that area. The position of the processing machine 50 is specified. The recognition of the printing machine 40 and the post-processing machine 50 may utilize known pattern matching or machine learning, may refer to layout data stored in advance, or may be manually registered by the operator. . A name for identifying each device is assigned to each recognized device. It should be noted that the recognition of each device does not have to be performed each time, and may be performed when the device is installed or moved. Also, although FIG. 10 illustrates an image captured by one network camera 60, images captured by a plurality of cameras may be used.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the association between the device detected from the captured image and the print position management tool. The print position management tool visually displays an image in which the printing machine 40 and the post-processing machine 50 are arranged. As a method of arranging the devices, there are a method of automatically arranging them from a photographed image and a method of manually arranging them on the screen. The arranged devices are managed in association with the coordinate information of the devices in the captured image.

12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the association between the captured image and the worker. Images captured by the network camera 60 are sent to the print position management tool at any time. The print position management tool analyzes the transmitted image and recognizes the operator. As a method of recognizing a worker, known pattern matching or machine learning is used for recognition. When recognizing the operator, an image of a cart or the like may be recognized, and if the image of the cart or the like is recognized, it can be determined that the printed material is being transported.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the association between devices such as the printing machine 40 and the post-processing machine 50 and workers. Once the worker is recognized, the position is specified from the coordinate information in the captured image, and managed together with the equipment.

14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining associations among shooting information, device information, and job information. The figure shows a state when job A has completed printing and the operator is moving the printed matter.

FIG. 14A shows the state immediately after printing is completed, and the printing of job A is completed from "status", and the printer 1 that processed job A is on standby from "device state".

In FIG. 14B, it is determined that the printed matter of job A has been taken out because the "device state" of the printer 1 has changed from standby to tray empty. At that time, based on the positional information of the printing machine 1 and the worker 1, it is determined that the worker 1 has taken out the printed material of the job A.

In FIG. 14C, it is determined that the printed material of job A is moving because worker 1 has started to move. Further, since the "status" of job B and job C is "bookbinding" and "printing", it is determined that each device is working.

FIG. 15 is an example in which the printed matter position management tool displays the position of the device and the position of the job in association with each other in the state of FIG. 14(c). The position of the job (printed material) can be identified by checking the screen of the printed material position management tool.

In the above description, the case where the operator transports the printed matter for each job has been described. Thus, the position of the printed matter of each job can be specified.

The operation of the printed matter position management apparatus 30 of this embodiment will be described below. The CPU 31a develops the control program (printed material position management tool) stored in the ROM 31b or the storage unit 32 in the RAM 31c and executes the processing of each step shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the following flow, it is assumed that the positions of the printing machine 40 and the finishing machine 50 are specified in advance.

First, the control unit 31 (information management unit 36) acquires information indicating the progress of the job from the printing process management tool (S101). (S102). Next, the control unit 31 (image processing unit 37) analyzes the captured image, detects the worker, and specifies the position of the worker (S103).

Next, the control unit 31 (position specifying unit 38) determines whether there is a change in the job status based on the progress of the job acquired by the information management unit 36 (S104). If so (No in S104), the latest information is obtained again. If there is a change in the status of the job (Yes in S104), the control unit 31 (position specifying unit 38) determines whether there is a change in the state of the device based on the progress of the job (S105). If there is no change in the state (No in S105), the latest information is acquired again.

If there is a change in the state of the equipment (Yes in S105), the control unit 31 (position specifying unit 38) identifies the equipment whose state the worker has changed from the position information of the worker specified by the image processing unit 37. (S106), and if the worker is not near the device (No in S106), the latest information is acquired again. If the worker is near the device (Yes in S106), the control unit 31 (position specifying unit 38) determines that the worker has a printed matter, and registers the worker and the job in association with each other. (S107), the control unit 31 (information display unit 39) displays the position of the printed matter of the job on the printed matter position management tool (S108).

A method for specifying the position of a printed matter based on a photographed image has been described above, but the printed matter can be identified by using code information such as a QR code. 17 to 19 are diagrams for explaining a method of specifying the position of a printed matter using a QR code, and are examples of photographing an area from above. As shown in FIG. 17(a), when printing, a QR code for specifying the printed material is printed on paper so that the QR code is placed on the printed material. As shown in FIG. 17B, the printed matter position management device 30 can determine where the printed matter of which job is located by detecting the QR code together with the operator.

FIG. 18 shows an example in which a warning is issued using information on the position of the printed matter. By specifying the position of the worker and identifying the printed matter, it becomes possible to grasp where the worker moved with which printed matter. For example, when the state shown in FIG. 18A changes to the state shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the theft of printed matter by issuing a warning by notifying an e-mail or the like.

FIG. 19 shows an example of a case in which the printed matter is left unattended. For example, when the state shown in FIG. 19A changes to the state shown in FIG. (The administrator of the printed matter management system 10, the operator of the equipment, etc.) is notified by e-mail or the like to warn them. By printing the QR code on the paper in this way, even if the worker leaves the printed matter, the position of the printed matter can be specified, and the stagnation of the work can be prevented.

As described above, a network camera installed in a printing factory for the purpose of monitoring, etc. is used to specify the position of paper based on the position of each device in the printing factory and the position of each worker. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent loss of printed matter and delay in work without performing complicated operations. In addition, by using code information such as a QR code printed on paper, printed matter can be identified, and loss of printed matter and delay in work can be prevented more reliably.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and its configuration and control can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a case was described in which the position of a printed matter is specified based on an image captured by one network camera 60. However, when multiple network cameras 60 are arranged, multiple network The position of the printed matter can be identified based on multiple images captured by the camera 60 .

Also, in the above embodiment, a case where a plurality of devices are arranged in one area has been described, but devices are arranged in a plurality of areas separated by doors, and network cameras 60 are installed in each of the areas. The present invention can be applied in the same way when they are arranged.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of specifying the position of printed matter created based on a job has been described, but the present invention is applicable to the case of specifying the position of an arbitrary article created using a plurality of devices. can be applied as well.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a printed matter management system, a printed matter management method, a printed matter management program, and a recording medium recording the printed matter management program for managing printed matter by specifying the position of the printed matter.

10 Print Management System 20 Printing Process Management Device 21 Control Unit 21a CPU
21b ROM
21c RAM
22 storage unit 23 network I/F unit 24 display unit 25 operation unit 26 printer management unit 27 job management unit 30 printed matter position management device 31 control unit 31a CPU
31b ROM
31c RAM
32 storage unit 33 network I/F unit 34 display unit 35 operation unit 36 information management unit 37 image processing unit 38 position specifying unit 39 information display unit 40 printer 41 control unit 41aCPU
41b ROM
41c RAM
42 storage unit 43 network I/F unit 44 display operation unit 45 image processing unit 46 image reading unit 47 print processing unit 50 finishing machine 60 network camera

Claims (19)

a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job; a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices; a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices; A printed matter management system comprising a printed matter position management device that manages the position of printed matter to be printed,
The printed matter position management device
an image processing unit that detects a worker by analyzing an image of the area captured by the camera and identifies the position of the worker;
a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the printed matter based on the progress of the job acquired from the printing process control device and the position of the worker specified by the image processing unit;
A printed matter management system characterized by: The image processing unit further analyzes an image of the area captured by the camera to detect the plurality of devices, identifies the positions of the plurality of devices,
The position specifying unit specifies the position of the printed matter based on the progress status of the job acquired from the printing process control device and the positions of the plurality of devices and the worker specified by the image processing unit.
2. The printed matter management system according to claim 1, wherein: The printed matter position management device
Further comprising an information display unit that displays the position of the printed matter specified by the position specifying unit;
3. The printed matter management system according to claim 1, wherein: The information display unit associates and displays the positions of the plurality of devices and the positions of the printed matter.
4. The printed matter management system according to claim 3, wherein: The position specifying unit identifies the printed matter based on code information arranged on the printed matter.
5. The printed matter management system according to claim 1, wherein: The position specifying unit notifies a user of a warning when it is determined that the printed material has been taken out of the management area.
6. The printed matter management system according to claim 5, wherein: When the position specifying unit determines that the printed matter has been left unattended for a predetermined period of time, it notifies the user of a warning.
6. The printed matter management system according to claim 5, wherein: The plurality of equipment includes a printing machine and a finishing machine,
8. The printed matter management system according to claim 1, wherein: a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job; a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices; a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices; A printed matter management method in a printed matter management system comprising a printed matter position management device for managing the position of printed matter to be printed,
The printed matter position management device
A first process of analyzing an image of the area captured by the camera to detect a worker and identifying the position of the worker;
performing a second process of identifying the position of the printed matter based on the progress status of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the position of the worker identified in the first process;
A print management method characterized by: In the first processing, further, an image of the area captured by the camera is analyzed to detect the plurality of devices, identify the positions of the plurality of devices,
In the second process, the position of the printed material is specified based on the progress status of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the positions of the plurality of devices and the worker specified in the first process.
10. The print management method according to claim 9, wherein: The printed matter position management device further
Execute a third process of displaying the position of the printed matter identified in the second process;
11. The printed matter management method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: In the third process, the positions of the plurality of devices and the positions of the printed matter are associated and displayed.
12. The print management method according to claim 11, wherein: In the second process, the printed matter is identified based on code information arranged on the printed matter;
13. The print management method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that: In the second process, when it is determined that the printed matter has been taken out of the management area, a warning is given to the user.
14. The printed matter management method according to claim 13, wherein: In the second process, if it is determined that the printed material has been left unattended for a predetermined period of time, a warning is sent to the user.
14. The printed matter management method according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of equipment includes a printing machine and a finishing machine,
16. The print management method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that: a plurality of devices that perform processing based on a job; a printing process control device that manages the progress of the job in the plurality of devices; a camera that captures an area including the plurality of devices; A printed matter management program that operates in a printed matter management system comprising a printed matter position management device that manages the position of printed matter to be
In the printed matter position management device,
A first process of analyzing an image of the area captured by the camera to detect a worker and identifying the position of the worker;
executing a second process of identifying the position of the printed matter based on the progress status of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the position of the worker identified in the first process;
A printed matter management program characterized by: In the first processing, further, an image of the area captured by the camera is analyzed to detect the plurality of devices, identify the positions of the plurality of devices,
In the second process, the position of the printed material is specified based on the progress status of the job acquired from the printing process control apparatus and the positions of the plurality of devices and the worker specified in the first process.
18. The print management program according to claim 17, characterized by: Further, in the printed matter position management device,
executing a third process of displaying the position of the printed matter identified in the second process;
19. The print management program according to claim 17 or 18, characterized by:

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