# US 11,907,593 B2 · Printing system, inspection method, and medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,593 B2 - Document ID: US11907593B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/332,404 - Filed: 2021-05-27 - Published: 2021-12-09 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yusuke Kimura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907593B2 ## CPC - B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism - G06F 3/1234: {Errors handling and recovery, e.g. reprinting (G06F3/1261 takes precedence)} - B41J 29/393: Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} - G03G 15/5062: {by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material} - G03G 15/70: {Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams} - G06F 3/121: {Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted} - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 2207/30144: Printing quality - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A printing system is provided. The system comprises a printing unit for forming an image on a sheet transported along a transport path; an inspection unit for inspecting an image formed on the sheet transported along the transport path by comparing the image with a reference image, and for recording order information of sheets that have been inspected and order information of sheets that have been correctly discharged; and a control unit for, when a jam occurs in the transport path of the sheet, controlling the inspection unit to resume inspection, after printing resumes, from a first sheet recorded as not yet having been inspected or not correctly discharged. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing system comprising a printing apparatus and an inspection apparatus, the inspection apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, wherein when a program stored in the at least one memory is executed by the at least one processor, the program causes the at least one processor to function as: a receiving unit that receives a scanned image obtained by reading along a conveying path a sheet on which an image has been formed; an inspection unit that performs inspection of the sheet on which the image has been formed by comparing the scanned image with a reference image; and a recording unit that records information identifying the discharged sheet and information identifying the inspected sheet in the memory, and the printing apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, wherein when a program stored in the at least one memory is executed by the at least one processor, the program causes the at least one processor to function as: a printing unit that forms an image on a sheet transported along the conveying path; a sheet discharging unit that discharges the inspected sheet from the conveying path; and a notification unit that notifies the inspection apparatus of information identifying the discharged sheet, wherein the inspection apparatus determines a page for which the inspection is resumed using the information identifying the inspected sheet and the information identifying the discharged sheet recorded by the recording unit in a case where a jam occurred in the conveying path of the sheet and printing is resumed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is configured to record whether or not the sheet has already been inspected and whether or not the sheet has been correctly discharged for each of instances of order information of the sheets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the recording unit is configured to record the order information of the last sheet that has already been inspected and the order information of the last sheet that has been correctly discharged. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the scanned image is obtained by capturing an image of the sheet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the order information of sheets that have been inspected and the order information of sheets that have been correctly discharged are recorded by the recording unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the order information of sheets that have been inspected and the order information of sheets that have been correctly discharged are recorded by the receiving unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the recording unit is configured to record the order information of the sheets that have been correctly discharged in response to a notification of a discharge made by the printing unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection unit is configured to inspect a position and a color of an image formed on the sheet. ### Claim 9 A method of inspecting an image formed on a sheet transported along a transport path performed by a printing apparatus and an inspection apparatus, the method comprising: receiving, by the inspection apparatus, a scanned image obtained by reading along a conveying path a sheet on which an image has been formed; performing, by the inspection apparatus, inspection of the sheet on which the image has been formed by comparing the scanned image with a reference image; recording, by the inspection apparatus, information identifying the discharged sheet and information identifying the inspected sheet in a memory; forming, by the printing apparatus, an image on a sheet transported along the conveying path; discharging, by the printing apparatus, the inspected sheet from the conveying path; and notifying, by the printing apparatus, the inspection apparatus of information identifying the discharged sheets, wherein the inspection apparatus determines a page for which the inspection is resumed using the information identifying the inspected sheet and the information identifying the discharged sheet recorded in the recording in a case where a jam occurred in the conveying path of the sheet and printing is resumed. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out a method of inspecting an image formed on a sheet transported along a transport path, the method comprising: receiving a scanned image obtained by reading along a conveying path a sheet on which an image has been formed; performing inspection of the sheet on which the image has been formed by comparing the scanned image with a reference image; recording information identifying the discharged sheet and information identifying the inspected sheet in a memory; forming an image on a sheet transported along the conveying path; discharging the inspected sheet from the conveying path; and notifying an inspection apparatus of information identifying the discharged sheets, wherein a page for which the inspection is resumed is determined using the information identifying the inspected sheet and the information identifying the discharged sheet recorded in the recording in a case where a jam occurred in the conveying path of the sheet and printing is resumed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection apparatus further comprises: a control unit that controls the inspection so that the inspection is resumed from the determined page for which the inspection is resumed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The printing system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to resume printing from the sheet that has not been discharged in a case where a jam has occurred. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus further comprises: a holding unit holds information identifying the discharge sheet notified by the notification unit in association with the information identifying the inspected sheet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the inspection apparatus of page number information identifying a page of the discharged sheet to be inspected as the information regarding the discharged sheet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the inspection apparatus of order information indicating the printing order for each sheet where multiple document pages are formed on both sides as the information regarding the discharged sheet.