Patent Document ID: 9172824
Application ID: 13790581
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An image inspection apparatus that inspects a printed image formed by a variable image printed onto a recording sheet having a pre-existing image, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to: obtain (a) a read image that was generated by scanning the printed image constituted by the variable image and the pre-existing image on the recording sheet and (b) a preprint image that was generated by scanning another recording sheet containing the pre-existing image without the variable image; generate an output target image based on image data corresponding to the variable image; combine the preprint image and the output target image to generate an inspection image and, while generating the inspection image based on combination of the preprint image previously printed on the recording sheet and the output target image, generate attribute data for each one of a plurality of pixels in the inspection image, the attribute data indicating whether the pixel corresponds to drawing data in the output target image or to drawing data in the preprint image previously printed on the recording sheet; match the positions between the read image and the inspection image for only the pixels corresponding to the drawing data in the output target image to generate a first position match result; match the positions between the read image and the inspection image for only the pixels corresponding to the drawing data in the preprint image to generate a second position match result; and compare between the inspection image and the read image to inspect the read image, the inspection image and the read image being matched in positions using at least one of the first position match result and the second position match result.