Abstract: An inspection system, an inspection method, and non-transitory recording medium. The inspection system acquires an image, captured by an image sensor, of the object to be inspected placed on a placement surface, the object having a printed image printed thereon, displays by a projector, print image data of the print image and attribute information of the object to be inspected, on the placement surface, compares a captured image of the object to be inspected with the print image data to determine whether there is a defect, and based on a determination that there is a defect, output defect information for specifying the defect.

Abstract: An evaluating method includes obtaining, by an imaging device, a two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution of a surface of a target; classifying, by one or more processors, the surface into a plurality of areas on the basis of chromaticity information of the two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution; and evaluating, by one or more processors, appearance characteristics of the target on the basis of respective sets of chromaticity information of the areas.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus gradation is represented by binary or multiple values. There is a memory to store correction information including a correction value corresponding to a position of image data. Correction circuitry corrects the image data according to the correction value. The number of bits representing the correction value for gradation is larger than the number of bits used to represent the image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a storage unit to store therein, for each of a plurality of colors, correction information in which a correction value for obtaining a target output value is associated with each of combinations of one of a plurality of density values of image data corresponding to the color and one of a plurality of positions in a main scanning direction of image data; and a corrector to correct, when a pixel in input image data indicating image data received from a host device includes two or more colors, for each of the two or more colors, a density value of the color using a value smaller than a correction value corresponding to a combination of the density value of the color and a position of the pixel in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An evaluation device includes a projector to project a pattern having an edge component onto an object, an imaging device to capture an image of the object, a reflective-property correction unit to correct an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object, and an evaluation-value calculator to evaluate image clarity of the surface of the object based on the corrected amount of change. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method. The method includes correcting an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object based on image data that is obtained by capturing an object onto which a pattern having an edge component is projected, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object.

Abstract: A texture evaluation apparatus includes a projector, an imager, and an evaluator. The projector is configured to project a two-dimensional pattern having an edge element onto an object. The imager is configured to capture an image of a surface of the object. The evaluator is configured to calculate an amount of shape change of a virtual image of the two-dimensional pattern in the image, and evaluate texture of the object based on the amount of shape change and sensory evaluation information obtained in advance.

Abstract: An evaluating method includes obtaining, by an imaging device, a two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution of a surface of a target; classifying, by one or more processors, the surface into a plurality of areas on the basis of chromaticity information of the two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution; and evaluating, by one or more processors, appearance characteristics of the target on the basis of respective sets of chromaticity information of the areas.

Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes at least one illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to normalize each pixel included in an imaging region of one of the spectral reflectance images of the measurement target irradiated with light at a specific illumination angle of the plurality of illumination angles, with one of the spectral reflectance images of the reference object irradiated with light at the specific illumination angle, for each of the plurality of illumination angles so as to generate normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target. The circuitry further calculates a numerical value of at least one color for each pixel of the normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target, for respective ones of the plurality of illumination angles, to measure color of the surface of the measurement target.

Abstract: An evaluation device includes a projector to project a pattern having an edge component onto an object, an imaging device to capture an image of the object, a reflective-property correction unit to correct an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object, and an evaluation-value calculator to evaluate image clarity of the surface of the object based on the corrected amount of change. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method. The method includes correcting an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object based on image data that is obtained by capturing an object onto which a pattern having an edge component is projected, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object.

Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes at least one illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to normalize each pixel included in an imaging region of one of the spectral reflectance images of the measurement target irradiated with light at a specific illumination angle of the plurality of illumination angles, with one of the spectral reflectance images of the reference object irradiated with light at the specific illumination angle, for each of the plurality of illumination angles so as to generate normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target. The circuitry further calculates a numerical value of at least one color for each pixel of the normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target, for respective ones of the plurality of illumination angles, to measure color of the surface of the measurement target.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus gradation is represented by binary or multiple values. There is a memory to store correction information including a correction value corresponding to a position of image data. Correction circuitry corrects the image data according to the correction value. The number of bits representing the correction value for gradation is larger than the number of bits used to represent the image data.

Abstract: A texture evaluation apparatus includes a projector, an imager, and an evaluator. The projector is configured to project a two-dimensional pattern having an edge element onto an object. The imager is configured to capture an image of a surface of the object. The evaluator is configured to calculate an amount of shape change of a virtual image of the two-dimensional pattern in the image, and evaluate texture of the object based on the amount of shape change and sensory evaluation information obtained in advance.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image information includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image that is uniform in area percentage of each of primary colors and a secondary color on an intermediate transfer belt; a measurer configured to measure amounts corresponding to density distribution of residual toner left on the intermediate transfer belt, on which the image uniform in area percentage of each of the primary colors and the secondary color is formed and from which toner is transferred onto a recording medium, in the main-scanning direction; and a corrector configured to correct a tone value of the image information so as to reduce density nonuniformity of a streak region observed in the density distribution in the main-scanning direction using the amounts measured by the measurer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a processor, and each of the processor of the image forming apparatus and the image forming method includes obtaining an output image of a primary color and a secondary color that is formed on a recording medium based on an image having an area ratio of each toner being uniform over the recording medium, obtaining spectral reflectance of the output image in a main scanning direction, obtaining spectral reflectance of a primary-color solid-fill image and the recording medium stored in a memory, calculating fluctuations in area ratio of each toner of a streaked area of the output image using the spectral reflectance of the streaked area and a streak-free area of the output image, and correcting an area ratio of each toner in the streaked area of image data to be output.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image information includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image that is uniform in area percentage of each of primary colors and a secondary color on an intermediate transfer belt; a measurer configured to measure amounts corresponding to density distribution of residual toner left on the intermediate transfer belt, on which the image uniform in area percentage of each of the primary colors and the secondary color is formed and from which toner is transferred onto a recording medium, in the main-scanning direction; and a corrector configured to correct a tone value of the image information so as to reduce density nonuniformity of a streak region observed in the density distribution in the main-scanning direction using the amounts measured by the measurer.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a storage unit to store therein, for each of a plurality of colors, correction information in which a correction value for obtaining a target output value is associated with each of combinations of one of a plurality of density values of image data corresponding to the color and one of a plurality of positions in a main scanning direction of image data; and a corrector to correct, when a pixel in input image data indicating image data received from a host device includes two or more colors, for each of the two or more colors, a density value of the color using a value smaller than a correction value corresponding to a combination of the density value of the color and a position of the pixel in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a processor, and each of the processor of the image forming apparatus and the image forming method includes obtaining an output image of a primary color and a secondary color that is formed on a recording medium based on an image having an area ratio of each toner being uniform over the recording medium, obtaining spectral reflectance of the output image in a main scanning direction, obtaining spectral reflectance of a primary-color solid-fill image and the recording medium stored in a memory, calculating fluctuations in area ratio of each toner of a streaked area of the output image using the spectral reflectance of the streaked area and a streak-free area of the output image, and correcting an area ratio of each toner in the streaked area of image data to be output.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improvement of method and apparatus for varying the cross-section of a beam of electrically charged particles and projecting the so-varied beam onto the target. Passing through a plurality of apertured masks one after another, a beam of electrically charged particles is so deflected that the image of the overlapping area of the apertures of the masks appears on a target. According to this invention a beam of charged particles is deflected between two subsequent masks upstream so as to reduce the amount of beam current to that which is required in forming a desired image on the target, and the so-reduced beam is deflected between two subsequent masks downstream so as to trim and shape the cross-section of the beam into the exact and sharp contour as desired.The method and apparatus for varying and projecting a beam of electrically charged particles according to this invention are particularly useful in producing microcircuits.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of projecting on selected areas of a target a variety of charged particles each having a different shape of cross-section. The charged particle projecting method according to this invention is suitable for production of micro-circuits.A microcircuit is formed on a wafer in the form of patchwork by repeatedly exposing a selected area of the wafer to each of a variety of charged particle beams, thus shortening the time involved for production compared with the time which would be taken if a similar microcircuit is produced by blotting selected areas of the wafer with beam spot.