Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image processing method

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image processing apparatus;
• and
• an internal device configured to generate a target image;
• wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:
• an anomaly detecting unit configured to detect an anomaly object in the target image;
• an characteristic amount watching unit configured to (a) watch at least two basic characteristic amounts of the anomaly object, (b) determine whether values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy a predetermined watching determination condition of any one of predetermined plural anomaly types or not, (c) if it is determined that the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, determine as an auxiliary characteristic amount for the anomaly object a characteristic amount corresponding to the anomaly type of which the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, and (d) start watching a value of the auxiliary characteristic amount;
• and
• an anomaly type determining unit configured to determine an anomaly type of the anomaly object on the basis of the basic characteristic amounts and the auxiliary characteristic amount currently watched by the characteristic amount watching unit.

An image processing method comprising the steps of

• detecting an anomaly object in a target image;
• (a) watching at least two basic characteristic amounts of the anomaly object, (b) determining whether values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy a predetermined watching determination condition of any one of predetermined plural anomaly types or not, (c) if it is determined that the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, determining as an auxiliary characteristic amount for the anomaly object a characteristic amount corresponding to the anomaly type of which the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, and (d) starting watching a value of the auxiliary characteristic amount;
• and
• determining an anomaly type of the anomaly object on the basis of the currently watched basic characteristic amounts and the currently watched auxiliary characteristic amount.