Optical sensor, printing station and printing method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical sensor for sensing items transported along an item transport path, comprising:
- a transmitter element for transmitting a sensing beam to a detection location, which sensing beam is reflected by each item as transported through the detection location;
a receiver element for sensing the reflected sensing beam and outputting an output signal; and
a processor unit for receiving the output signal of the receiver element and identifying a control code comprising at least one element, where present on an item, from the output signal, wherein the output signal has a first, element background value defined by a background reflectance of the respective item at the control code and a second, element sensed value defined by a reflectance of the at least one element of the control code.
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Abstract
An optical sensor for sensing items transported along an item transport path, comprising: a transmitter element for transmitting a sensing beam to a detection location, which sensing beam interacts with each item as transported through the detection location; a receiver element for sensing the sensing beam at the detection location and outputting an output signal; and a processor unit for receiving the output signal of the receiver element and performing a determination based upon the same.
19 Citations
41 Claims
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1. An optical sensor for sensing items transported along an item transport path, comprising:
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a transmitter element for transmitting a sensing beam to a detection location, which sensing beam is reflected by each item as transported through the detection location;
a receiver element for sensing the reflected sensing beam and outputting an output signal; and
a processor unit for receiving the output signal of the receiver element and identifying a control code comprising at least one element, where present on an item, from the output signal, wherein the output signal has a first, element background value defined by a background reflectance of the respective item at the control code and a second, element sensed value defined by a reflectance of the at least one element of the control code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An optical sensor for sensing items transported along an item transport path, comprising:
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a transmitter element for transmitting a sensing beam to a detection location, which sensing beam interacts with each item as transported through the detection location;
a receiver element for sensing the sensing beam at the detection location and outputting an output signal; and
a processor unit for receiving the output signal of the receiver element and determining, for each item, a position of a leading edge of the item from the output signal, where the output signal has at least a first, item background value when no item is at the detection location and a second, item sensed value when the item is at the detection location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An item printing station, comprising:
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an item transport path along which items are transported, where at least ones of the items have a control code applied thereto, which control codes include indicia information utilized at least in part in generating printed indicia;
an optical sensor for reading control codes, where present, on items transported along the item transport path; and
a printing unit disposed downstream of the sensor for printing indicia on items, where, for each item having an applied control code, the indicium is generated at least in part utilizing the indicium information in the control code. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of printing indicia on items, comprising the steps of:
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transporting items along an item transport path, where at least ones of the items have a control code applied thereto;
for each item having a control code applied thereto, reading the applied control codes;
determining indicia information from the control codes; and
printing indicia on items, where, for each item having an applied control code, the indicium is generated at least in part utilizing the indicium information in the control code. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification