Sheet process apparatus and control method thereof

• US 10,046,939 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Horizon International Inc.
• Inventors: Nishimura, Kohei, Yokogi, Takehito
• Primary Examiner(s): NICHOLSON III, LESLIE AUGUST
• Application Number:
  US15/738,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20180179014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 270 45, 270 5202, 270 5804, 270 5807, 700225
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2007/322 the cut products being sheets, e.g. sheets of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/007 Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/30 having the cutting member controlled by scanning a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/32 with the record carrier formed by the work itself
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/32 for conveying or stacking cut product means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/10 Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad laminating B32B37/00, B32B38/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 43/08 Photoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/14 Buckling folders

Abstract

A sheet process apparatus images a code printed on a fed sheet, and a control unit acquires image data of the imaged code, reads information of the code from the image data, measures a real position of the code from the image data, retrieves position information corresponding to the read information of the code, calculates an amount of deviation between the measured real position of the code and a reference position, corrects the position information on the basis of the amount of the calculated deviation so as to determine a target position, and outputs the target position. The apparatus and corresponding method do not need the sheet to have a wide space for printing both a cut mark and the code, and do not recognize another mark as the cut mark.

Claims

1. A sheet process apparatus, comprising:

a feed unit configured to feed a plurality of sheets one-by-one; and

a process unit configured to process one-by-one the sheets fed by the feed unit;

wherein the sheet comprises;

a one or two-dimensional code printed on a first or second surface thereof;

wherein the process unit comprises;

a process mechanism configured to conduct a predetermined process for the sheet; and

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the process mechanism;

wherein the sheet process apparatus further comprises;

a memory part configured to store both a plurality of position information on the process mechanism and a reference position of the code;

a camera configured to image the code printed on the sheet fed by the feed unit; and

a control unit configured to control an operation of the transfer mechanism;

wherein the control unit comprises;

an acquisition part configured to acquire an image data of the code imaged by the camera;

a read part configured to read information of the code from the image data acquired by the acquisition part;

a position measure part configured to measure a real position of the code from the image data acquired by the acquisition part;

a retrieval part configured to retrieve the position information corresponding to the information of the code read by the acquisition part, from a plurality of the position information on the process mechanism stored in the memory part;

a calculation part configured to calculate an amount of deviation between the real position of the code measured by the position measure part and the reference position of the code stored in the memory part;

a determination part configured to correct the position information on the process mechanism retrieved by the retrieval part on the basis of the amount of deviation calculated by the calculation part so as to determine a target position of the process mechanism; and

a target position output part configured to output the target position of the process mechanism determined by the determination part toward the transfer mechanism; and

wherein the transfer mechanism transfers the process mechanism toward the target position of the process mechanism output from the target position output part;

wherein the position measure part comprises;

an outline recognition part configured to recognize an outline of the code on the basis of the image data; and

a coordinate measure part configured to measure a coordinate of predetermined one point on the outline of the code recognized by the outline recognition part;

wherein the predetermined one point is disposed on one corner of the outline of the code;

wherein the coordinate measure part is con figured to sub-pixel process the image data acquired by the acquisition part within limited area of the one corner so as to measure a coordinate of the corner; and

wherein the position measure part comprises;

an angle measure part configured to measure an angle of a line connected with predetermined two points on the outline of the code recognized by the outline recognition part;

a judge part configured to judge whether the angle measured by the angle measure part is more than a predetermine angle; and

a stop signal output part configured to output a signal for stopping the sheet process apparatus when the judge part judges that the angle is more than the predetermined angle.

2. The sheet process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined two points are disposed on two corners of the outline of the code, and wherein the angle measure part is configured to sub-pixel process the image data acquired by the acquisition part within limited areas of the two corners so as to measure the angle of the line connected with the two corners.

3. The sheet process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet process apparatus is composed of a sheet cut apparatus, and wherein the process mechanism comprises a slitter.

4. The sheet process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet process apparatus is composed of a sheet fold apparatus, and wherein the process mechanism comprises a stopper disposed on a buckle.

5. A control method for a sheet process apparatus,

wherein the sheet process apparatus comprises:

a feed unit configured to feed a plurality of sheets one-by-one; and

a process unit configured to process one-by-one the sheets fed by the feed unit;

wherein the sheet comprises;

a one or two-dimensional code printed on a first or second surface thereof;

wherein the process unit comprises;

a process mechanism configured to conduct a predetermined process for the sheet; and

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the process mechanism;

wherein the sheet process apparatus further comprises;

a memory part configured to store both, a plurality of position information on the process mechanism and a reference position of the code;

a camera configured to image the code printed on the sheet fed by the feed unit; and

a control unit configured to control an operation of the transfer mechanism;

wherein the control method comprises;

a first step of acquiring an image data of the code imaged by the camera;

a second step of reading information of the code from the image data acquired by the first step;

a third step of measuring a real position of the code from the image data acquired by the first step;

a fourth step of retrieving the position information corresponding to the information of the code read by the second step, from a plurality of the position information on the process mechanism stored in the memory part;

a fifth step of calculating an amount of deviation between the real position of the code measured by the third step and the reference position of the code stored in the memory part;

a sixth step of correcting the position information on the process mechanism retrieved by the fourth step on the basis of the amount of deviation calculated by the fifth step so as to determine a target position of the process mechanism;

a seventh step of outputting the target position of the process mechanism determined by the sixth step toward the transfer mechanism; and

an eighth step of transferring the process mechanism toward the target position of the process mechanism output front the target position output part outputted by the seventh step; and

wherein the third step comprises;

a tenth step of recognizing an outline of the code on the basis of the image data; and

an eleventh step of measuring a coordinate of predetermined one point on the outline of the code recognized by the tenth step;

wherein the predetermined one point is disposed on one corner of the outline of the code;

wherein the eleventh step is configured to sub-pixel process the image data acquired by the first step within limited area of the one corner so as to measure a coordinate of the corner; and

wherein the third step comprises;

a twelfth step of measuring an angle of line connected with predetermined two points on the outline of the code recognized by the tenth step;

a thirteenth step of judging, whether the angle measured by the twelfth step is more than a predetermined angle; and

a fourteenth step of outputting a signal for stopping the sheet process apparatus when the judge part judges that the angle is more than the predetermined angle in the thirteenth step.

6. The control method for the sheet process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined two points are disposed on two corners of the outline of the code, and wherein the twelfth step is configured to sub-pixel process the image data acquired by the first step within limited areas of the two corners so as to measure the angle of the line connected with the two corners.

7. The control method for the sheet process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sheet process apparatus is composed of a sheet cut apparatus, and wherein the process mechanism comprises a slitter.

8. The control method for the sheet process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sheet process apparatus is composed of a sheet fold apparatus, and wherein the process mechanism comprises a stopper disposed on a buckle.