Patent Publication Number: US-2015070714-A1

Title: Image forming device, printing method, and computer-readable recording medium

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-188870 filed in Japan on Sep. 11, 2013. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an image forming device, a printing method, and a computer-readable recording medium. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, a technique called augmented reality (AR) is known which augments a real environment by superimposing information such as a virtual object on an image in a real world perceived by a user and displaying the image (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-020614). 
     For example, there is a method in which an image of a printed matter on which an AR marker in which information indicating the size of the AR marker is embedded is printed is captured by a camera, a relative position and attitude of the camera is detected by analyzing the captured image, the information embedded in the AR marker is acquired from the captured image, and a virtual object based on the AR marker is added to an image on the basis of the detected relative position and attitude of the camera and the acquired information. 
     However, in the conventional technique as described above, when the printed matter on which the AR marker is printed is variably magnified and printed, the size of the AR marker after the printing is different from the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker. Therefore, when implementing the augmented reality, it is not possible to display the virtual object based on the AR marker at the size according to the real world. 
     In view of the above situation, there is a need to provide an image forming device, a printing method, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program, which can make the size of the AR marker after the printing correspond to the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker even when the printed matter on which the AR marker is printed is variably magnified and printed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming device comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires an image including a marker used for an augmented reality process; an information acquisition unit that acquires first information which is embedded in the marker from the marker and is related to a size of the marker in a real world before the image is printed; a calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of the first information and a printing magnification of the image, the size of the marker in the real world after the image is printed; a replacement unit that replaces the first information embedded in the marker with second information related to the calculated size; and a printing unit that prints, at the printing magnification, the image including the marker in which the second information is embedded. 
     The present invention also provides a printing method comprising: an image acquisition step of acquiring an image including a marker used for an augmented reality process; an information acquisition step of acquiring from the marker first information which is embedded in the marker and is related to a size of the marker in a real world before the image is printed; a calculation step of calculating, on the basis of the first information and a printing magnification of the image, the size of the marker in the real world after the image is printed; a replacement step of replacing the first information embedded in the marker with second information related to the calculated size; and a printing step of printing, at the printing magnification, the image including the marker in which the second information is embedded. 
     The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that contains a computer program that causes a computer to execute: an image acquisition step of acquiring an image including a marker used for an augmented reality process; an information acquisition step of acquiring from the marker first information which is embedded in the marker and is related to a size of the marker in a real world before the image is printed; a calculation step of calculating, on the basis of the first information and a printing magnification of the image, the size of the marker in the real world after the image is printed; a replacement step of replacing the first information embedded in the marker with second information related to the calculated size; and a printing step of printing, at the printing magnification, the image including the marker in which the second information is embedded. 
     The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image forming device of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of an AR marker of the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a printing process performed by the image forming device of the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an AR processing system that performs an augmented reality process by using a printed matter including an AR marker printed by the image forming device of the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an example of the augmented reality process performed by an AR processing terminal; 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of an example of the augmented reality process; 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration of an example of the augmented reality process; 
         FIG. 8  is an illustration of an example of the augmented reality process; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image forming device of a modified example; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of an AR marker of the modified example; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating an example of a table managed by a server; 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating an example of a table managed by the server; and 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming device, a printing method, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The description below is based on the assumption that the image forming device is a copying machine. However, the image forming device is not limited to a copying machine, but may be a printer, a multifunction peripheral (MFP), and the like. The multifunction peripheral is a peripheral that has at least two functions of a copy function, a printing function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image forming device  100  of the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the image forming device  100  includes a communication unit  110 , an operation unit  120 , a display unit  130 , a storage unit  140 , a reading unit  150  (an example of a reading device), a printing unit  160 , and a control unit  170 . 
     The communication unit  110  communicates with an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) through a network and can be realized by a communication device such as an NIC (Network Interface Card). 
     The operation unit  120  is for inputting various operations such as inputting a printing magnification (magnification rate) and can be realized by an input device such as a touch panel and key switches. 
     The display unit  130  is for displaying various screens and can be realized by a display device such as a liquid crystal display and a touch panel type display. 
     The storage unit  140  stores various programs executed by the image forming device  100  and data used for various processes performed by the image forming device  100 . The storage unit  140  can be realized by at least any one of storage devices, which can magnetically, optically, electrically store information, such as, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a memory card, an optical disk, and a RAM (Random Access Memory). 
     The reading unit  150  is for optically reading a document and generating an image following an instruction of the control unit  170 , and can be realized by, for example, a scanner device. 
     Following an instruction of the control unit  170 , the printing unit  160  prints an image, which is read by the reading unit  150  and processed by the control unit  170 , on a recording medium such as a recording paper, and outputs the recording medium. 
     The control unit  170  is for controlling each unit of the image forming device  100  and can be realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an LSI (Large Scale Integration), or the like. The control unit  170  includes an image acquisition unit  171 , an information acquisition unit  173 , a calculation unit  175 , and a replacement unit  177 . 
     The image acquisition unit  171  acquires an image including a marker (hereinafter referred to as an “AR marker”) used for an augmented reality process. In the present embodiment, the image acquisition unit  171  optically reads a document on which the AR marker is printed and generates an image including the AR marker, so that the image acquisition unit  171  acquires the image. However, the image acquisition unit  171  may acquire the image including the AR marker from the outside (for example, a PC (an example of an information processing device) connected through a network). 
     The information acquisition unit  173  acquires first information which is related to the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed and which is embedded in the AR marker from the AR marker in the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171 . Specifically, the information acquisition unit  173  detects the AR marker from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171  and acquires the first information embedded in the detected AR marker. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of an AR marker  200  of the present embodiment. The AR marker  200  includes an external area  201  and an internal area  202 . The external area  201  is used to detect the AR marker  200  and the internal area  202  is used to embed the first information. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the shape of the AR marker  200  is square. However, it is not limited to this, and the shape may be rectangle, circle, and the like as long as the shape is known and can be detected. It is preferable that the color of the AR marker  200  is monochrome from a viewpoint of image processing. However, the color is not limited to monochrome, but may be made of a plurality of colors. 
     For example, the information acquisition unit  173  binarizes the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171  and divides the image into blocks of white pixels and black pixels by performing labeling processing (processing to combine pixels of the same color adjacent to each other into one block). Then, the information acquisition unit  173  performs processing to detect four vertexes from contour for each divided block of black pixels. As a result, a block of black pixels where the four vertexes are detected is the external area  201  of the AR marker  200 , so that the information acquisition unit  173  can detect the AR marker  200  from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171  and can acquire the first information from the internal area  202  of the AR marker  200 . When the shape of the AR marker  200  is a circle, the information acquisition unit  173  may detect a block of black pixels forming a circle by performing Hough transform or the like. 
     In the present embodiment, the first information indicates the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed (copied), and in more detail, the first information indicates the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed by a combination of colors of components that form a predetermined area in the AR marker. For example, in the case of the AR marker  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed is indicated by a combination of colors of pixels that form the internal area  202 . 
     In the AR marker  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the internal area  202  is formed by 6Δ6 pixels, and the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed is represented by a binary number by assuming that the white pixel is 0 and the black pixel is 1. However, among the 36 bits (pixels), the values of pixels at four corners of the internal area  202  are used to detect the orientation of the image (AR marker  200 ) in order to be able to detect the AR marker  200  even when the image is rotated in whatever direction (up/down/left/right). Further, among the remaining 32 bits, the first eight bits are used as an identifier of a 3D virtual object based on the AR marker  200  used in the augmented reality process. Therefore, in the example illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the length of one side of the AR marker  200  can be represented by 24 bits (pixels), so that, when the length of one side of the AR marker  200  is described in units of 1 mm, the length of one side can be described in a range from 1 mm to 16777216 mm. However, when a checksum or the like is added to improve robustness, the description range of the length of one side of the AR marker  200  is smaller than the above range. 
     The calculation unit  175  calculates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed on the basis of the first information acquired by the information acquisition unit  173  and the printing magnification of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171 . 
     In the present embodiment, the printing magnification is inputted from the operation unit  120 , so that the calculation unit  175  uses the printing magnification to calculate the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed. However, when the image acquisition unit  171  acquires the image including the AR marker from the outside, the image acquisition unit  171  may also acquire the printing magnification of the image from the outside and the calculation unit  175  may use the printing magnification. 
     For example, when variable magnification printing (enlarged printing) of a printing magnification of 1.4 times is instructed from the operation unit  120 , the calculation unit  175  calculates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed by multiplying the size indicated by the first information by 1.4. 
     The replacement unit  177  replaces the first information embedded in the AR marker with second information related to the size calculated by the calculation unit  175 . In the present embodiment, the second information indicates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed (copied), and in more detail, the second information indicates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed by a combination of colors of components that form a predetermined area in the AR marker. 
     Specifically, the replacement unit  177  replaces a combination of colors indicated by the first. information embedded in the AR marker with a combination of colors indicated by the second information. For example, the replacement unit  177  calculates the second information by converting the size calculated by the calculation unit  175  into a binary number and replaces the 24 pixels used to describe the aforementioned first information with a combination of colors indicated by bits of the second information. 
     However, the replacement unit  177  may not only replace the 24 pixels used to describe the first information, but also collectively replace 36 pixels in the internal area  202  of the AR marker  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2  in order to easily perform the replacement process. In this case, the value of the 24 pixels used to describe the first information is different between before and after the replacement because the value is replaced with the second information. However, the values of the other 12 pixels (four pixels for detecting the orientation of the image (AR marker  200 ) and eight pixels for an identifier of the 3D virtual object based on the AR marker  200 ) are the same. 
     The replacement unit  177  replaces the first information with second information, so that the printing unit  160  prints the image including the AR marker in which the second information is embedded at the printing magnification inputted from the operation unit  120  and outputs a printed matter. Specifically, by the control unit  170 , the printing unit  160  converts the image, which includes the AR marker in which the second information is embedded and which is variably magnified at the printing magnification inputted from the operation unit  120 , from the RGB color space to the CMYK color space and performs printing. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a printing process performed by the image forming device  100  of the present embodiment. 
     First, the image acquisition unit  171  acquires an image including an AR marker used for the augmented reality process (step S 101 ). 
     Subsequently, the information acquisition unit  173  acquires, the first information which is related to the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed and which is embedded in the AR marker, from the AR marker in the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171  (step S 103 ). 
     Subsequently, the calculation unit  175  calculates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed on the basis of the first information acquired by the information acquisition unit  173  and the printing magnification of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit  171  (step S 105 ). 
     Subsequently, the replacement unit  177  replaces the first information embedded in the AR marker with second information related to the size calculated by the calculation unit  175  (step S 107 ). 
     Subsequently, the printing unit  160  prints, the image including the AR marker in which the second information is embedded by the replacement unit  177 , with the printing magnification inputted from the operation unit  120 , and the printing unit  160  outputs a printed matter (step S 109 ). 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, the AR marker is printed after replacing the first information related to the size of the AR marker embedded in the AR marker with the second information related to the size of the AR marker after the AR marker is printed which is calculated based on the first information and the printing magnification, so that it is possible to make the size of the AR marker after the AR marker is printed correspond to the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker. As a result, when a printed matter on which the AR marker is printed (copied) is variably magnified and printed, it is possible to make the size of the AR marker after the printing correspond to the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker, so that when implementing the augmented reality, it is possible to display the virtual object based on the AR marker at the size according to the real world. 
       FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an AR processing system that performs the augmented reality process by using a printed matter including the AR marker printed by the image forming device  100  of the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the AR processing system includes an AR processing terminal  300  and a server  400 . The AR processing terminal  300  and the server  400  are connected through a network  2 . 
     The AR processing terminal  300  is a terminal device including a camera, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a display. Examples of the AR processing terminal  300  include a smartphone and a tablet terminal. The server  400  manages a 3D virtual object or the like based on the AR marker. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an example of the augmented reality process performed by the AR processing terminal  300 . The augmented reality process illustrated in  FIG. 5  is performed for each frame. 
     First, the AR processing terminal  300  captures an image of a printer matter including a marker printed by the image forming device  100  and acquires the image (step S 201 ). 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  extracts the AR marker from the acquired image (step S 203 ). The method of extracting the AR marker is the same as that described in the description of the information acquisition unit  173 . 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  acquires, from the extracted marker, the second information embedded in the AR marker and an identifier of a 3D virtual object based on the AR marker (step S 205 ). 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  calculates (estimates) a relative position and attitude of the camera by using coordinates of four vertexes detected in step S 203  (for details, see the method described in the description of the information acquisition unit  173 ) (step S 207 ). Specifically, the AR processing terminal  300  calculates the relative position and attitude of the camera by obtaining a conversion from the coordinates of four vertexes arranged in a square in a three-dimensional marker coordinate system to a two-dimensional camera virtual screen coordinate system. Regarding a method of detecting the relative position and attitude between the AR marker and the camera, “ARToolkit: Library for Vision-based Augmented Reality” Technical report of IEICE. pp 79-86, 2002-02 is known. The AR marker coordinate system is often a global coordinate system for finally arranging a virtual object. 
     Here, it is known that the four vertexes are on the same plane, so that in the three-dimensional coordinate system, when the center of the AR marker  200  is (x, y, z)=(0, 0, 0), the coordinates of four vertexes M0 to M3 are represented as M0=(−a, −a, 0), M1=(a, −a, 0), M2=(−a, a, 0), and M2=(a, a, 0) (see  FIG. 6 ). 
     When a three dimensional coordinate conversion including desired rotation and parallel movement is performed on these coordinates, the coordinates of the four vertexes M0 to M4 are converted into coordinates in a three-dimensional camera coordinate system. Then, by performing a perspective projection from the three-dimensional camera coordinate system to a virtual screen, two-dimensional coordinate values M0′ to M3′ are obtained (see  FIG. 7 ). Parameters of the rotation and parallel movement at this time correspond to the relative position and attitude of the camera. 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  acquires a 3D virtual object from the server  400  based on the identifier of the 3D virtual object being based on the AR marker embedded in the AR marker, and arranges the 3D virtual object in a three-dimensional space of the AR marker coordinate system based on the relative position and attitude of the camera and the second information (step S 209 ). Here, the second information is used to arrange the 3D virtual object, so that it is possible to arrange the 3D virtual object at the size according to the real world. 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  draws an image formed when perspectively projecting the 3D virtual object arranged in the three-dimensional space onto a screen, and superimposes the drawn image on the image acquired in step S 201  (step S 211 ). For example, the AR processing terminal  300  draws the 3D virtual object arranged in the three-dimensional space on the image acquired in step S 201  by using a 3D programming API such as OpenGL and Direct3D. 
     Subsequently, the AR processing terminal  300  displays the image on which the virtual object is superimposed (see  FIG. 8 ) on a display  500  (step S 213 ). 
     In this way, when a printed matter on which the AR marker is printed (copied) is variably magnified and printed, it is possible to make the size of the AR marker after the printing correspond to the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker, so that when implementing the augmented reality, it is possible to display the virtual object based on the AR marker at the size according to the real world. 
     Modified Example 
     The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example, the first information may be information associated with first size information indicating the size of the AR marker in the real world before the image is printed, and the second information may be information associated with second size information indicating the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed. 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image forming device  100  of a modified example. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the image forming device  100  is connected to a server  400  through a network  2 . The server  400  manages the first information and the first size information in association with each other, and manages the second information and the second size information in association with each other. 
     In the image forming device  100  of the modified example, the calculation unit  175  acquires the first size information from the server  400  on the basis of the first information, and calculates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed on the basis of the first size information and the printing magnification. The replacement unit  177  acquires the second information from the server  400  on the basis of the second size information indicating a calculated size, and replaces the first information embedded in the AR marker with the second information. 
     In the same manner as in the above embodiment, the first information and the second information may indicate a combination of colors of components that form a predetermined area in the AR marker. In this case, the combination of colors of components is a mere identifier. 
     The first information and the second information may indicate a first pattern and a second pattern, respectively. In this case, the first pattern and the second pattern are mere identifiers.  FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of an AR marker  600  of the modified example. In the case of the AR marker  600  illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the first information is acquired by performing pattern matching on an internal area of the AR marker  600 . The replacement unit  177  replaces the first. pattern indicated by the first information with the second pattern indicated by the second information. The replacement method is the same as described above. 
     When the second information is not registered in the server  400 , the replacement unit  177  generates the second information and registers, in the server  400 , the second information and the second size information in association with each other. 
     For example, the server  400  manages the first information and the first size information in association with each other, and manages the second information and the second size information in association with each other in a table illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Here, the “identification” corresponds to the first information and the second information, and the “size of marker” corresponds to the first size information and the second size information. The calculation unit  175  calculates the size of the AR marker in the real world after the image is printed to be 70 mm. 
     In this case, the size of marker of 70 mm is not registered in the table illustrated in  FIG. 11 , so that, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the replacement unit  177  generates the second information (16), and registers the second information (16) and the second size information indicating  70  mm in association with each other. Further, the replacement unit  177  may register an identifier of a 3D virtual object based on the AR marker  200  (AR model identifier). 
     Hardware Configuration 
     An example of a hardware configuration of the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example will be described. 
       FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming device  100  of the embodiment and the modified example. As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the image forming device of the embodiment. and the modified example has a configuration in which a controller  910  and an engine  960  are connected by a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. The controller  910  is a controller that controls control of the entire image forming device, drawing, communication, and input from an operation display unit  920 . The engine  960  is a printer engine that can be connected to the PCI bus. The engine  960  is, for example, a monochrome plotter, one-drum color plotter, four-drum color plotter, a scanner, or a fax unit. The engine  960  includes an image processing section for error diffusion and gamma conversion in addition to a so-called engine section such as a plotter. 
     The controller  910  includes a CPU  911 , a northbridge (NB)  913 , a system memory (MEN-P)  912 , a southbridge (SB)  914 , a local memory (MEM-C)  917 , an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)  916 , and a hard disk drive (HDD)  918 . The northbridge (NB)  913  and the ASIC  916  are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus  915 . The MEM-P  912  includes a ROM  912   a  and a RAM  912   b.    
     The CPU  911  controls the entire image forming device and has a chip set including the NB  913 , the MEN-P  912 , and the SB  914 . The CPU  911  is connected to other devices through the chip set. 
     The NB  913  is a bridge for connecting the CPU  911 , the MEM-P  912 , the SB  914 , and the AGB bus  915  and has a memory controller that controls reading and writing from and to the MEM-P  912 , a PCI master, and an AGP target. 
     The MEM-P  912  is a system memory used as a storage memory for storing programs and data, a developing memory for developing programs and data, and a drawing memory for a printer. The MEM-P  912  includes the ROM  912   a  and the RAM  912   b.  The ROM  912   a  is a read-only memory used as the storage memory for storing programs and data. The RAM  912   b  is a readable/writable memory used as the developing memory for developing programs and data and the drawing memory for a printer. 
     The SB  914  is a bridge for connecting the NB  913 , PCI devices, and peripheral devices. The SB  914  is connected to the NB  913  through the PCI bus and the PCI bus is connected with a network interface (I/F) unit. 
     The ASIC  916  is an image processing IC (Integrated Circuit) including a hardware component for image processing and plays a role of a bridge for connecting the AGP bus  915 , the PCI bus, the HDD  918 , and the MEM-C  917 . The ASIC  916  includes a PCI target, an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC  916 , a memory controller that controls the MEN-C  917 , a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform rotation of image data and the like by a hardware logic or the like, and a PCI unit that performs data transfer with the engine  960  through the PCI bus. The ASIC  916  is connected with an FCU (Fax Control Unit)  930 , a USE (Universal Serial Bus)  940 , and an IEEE1394 (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface  950  through the PCI bus. The operation display unit  920  is directly connected to the ASIC  916 . 
     The MEM-C  917  is a local memory used as an image buffer for copy and a code buffer. The HDD  918  is a storage for accumulating image data, accumulating programs, accumulating font data, and accumulating forms. 
     The AGP bus  915  is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to accelerate graphics processing. The AGP bus  915  increases the speed of the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the MEM-P  912  with high throughput. 
     The programs executed by the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example are installed in a ROM or the like in advance and provided. 
     The programs executed by the image forming device of the embodiment. and the modified example may be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) as a file of an installable format or an executable format and provided. 
     Further, the programs executed by the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example may be stored in a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading the programs through the network. Further, the programs executed by the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example may be provided or delivered through a network such as the Internet. 
     The programs executed by the image forming device of the embodiment and the modified example have a module configuration to realize each unit described above on a computer. In actual hardware, a processor reads the programs from a ROM, stores the programs in a RAM, and executes the program, so that each unit described above is realized on a computer. 
     According to the present invention, an effect is obtained in which, even when the printed matter on which the AR marker is printed is variably magnified and printed, it is possible to make the size of the AR marker after the printing correspond to the size of the AR marker based on the information embedded in the AR marker. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.