VIRTUAL INK DESK AND METHOD OF USING SAME

• US 20070216918A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baldwin Americas Corporation (Forsyth Baldwin LLC)
• Original Assignee: Quad/Tech Incorporated
• Inventors: Nelson, Adam, Honeck, Rick C., Ubert, Jon, Sisco, Michael D., Seymour, John C., Daily, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,652,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 31/045 Remote control of the duct keys
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0045 for automatically regulating the ink supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/025 Simulating output on another printing arrangement, e.g. proof output matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1805 Receiving printer configuration commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30144 Printing quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/56 Processing of colour picture signals H04N1/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6008 with primary colour signals, e.g. RGB or CMY(K)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6036 involving periodic tests or tests during use of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6047 wherein the test pattern is part of an arbitrary user image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6052 Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6058 Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/646 Transmitting or storing colour television type signals, e.g. PAL, Lab; Their conversion into additive or subtractive colour signals or vice versa therefor H04N1/642, H04N1/644 take precedence

Abstract

A printing machine includes a high-speed print device configured to receive a print media and discharge a printed product that includes a printed image. An image capturing device is positioned adjacent the print device and is configured to capture an image of the printed image on the printed product. A computer includes a monitor, a processor, an input device, and a communication device configured to communicate with the print device. The monitor is configured to display the captured image, the input device is configured to allow a user to vary the displayed image, and the processor is configured to calculate an adjustment to the print device in response to the varied image.

Claims

1. A printing machine comprising:

a high-speed print device configured to receive a print media and discharge a printed product that includes a printed image;

an image capturing device positioned adjacent the print device and configured to capture an image of the printed image on the printed product; and

a computer including a monitor, a processor, an input device, and a communication device configured to communicate with the print device, the monitor configured to display the captured image, the input device configured to allow a user to vary the displayed image, and the processor configured to calculate an adjustment to the print device in response to the varied image.

2. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the high-speed print device includes a plurality of adjustable ink control devices.

3. The printing machine of claim 2, wherein the adjustment includes the movement of at least one of the ink control devices to vary the flow of ink to a portion of the print media.

4. The printing machine of claim 3, wherein the input device is adapted to directly input the movement of the at least one ink control device.

5. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the captured image captured by the image capturing device is color-correct.

6. The printing machine of claim 5, wherein the image capturing device includes a multi-tap CCD.

7. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the monitor displays a color-correct image.

8. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the computer is remote from the high-speed print device and the high-speed print device includes a first transceiver and the computer includes a second transceiver to facilitate communication therebetween.

9. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the input device is adapted to select a portion of the displayed image to manipulate a color within the selected portion.

10. The printing machine of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a predictive image based on the calculated adjustment, the predictive image being indicative of a printed image following implementation of the adjustment to the high-speed print device.

11. A printing machine comprising:

a high-speed print device configured to receive a print media and discharge a printed product that includes a printed image;

an image capturing device positioned adjacent the print device and configured to capture a color-correct image of the printed image on the printed product; and

a computer including a monitor, a processor, and an input device, the monitor configured to display a color-correct image of the captured image, the input device configured to allow a user to vary the displayed image, and the processor configured to calculate an adjustment to the high-speed print device in response to the varied image.

12. The printing machine of claim 11, wherein the high-speed print device includes a plurality of adjustable ink control devices.

13. The printing machine of claim 12, wherein the adjustment includes the movement of at least one of the ink control devices to vary the flow of ink to a portion of the print media.

14. The printing machine of claim 13, wherein the input device is adapted to directly input the movement of the at least one ink control device.

15. The printing machine of claim 11, wherein the image capturing device includes a multi-tap CCD.

16. The printing machine of claim 11, wherein the computer is remote from the high-speed print device and the high-speed print device includes a first transceiver and the computer includes a second transceiver to facilitate communication therebetween.

17. The printing machine of claim 11, wherein the input device is adapted to select a portion of the displayed image to manipulate a color within the selected portion.

18. The printing machine of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a predictive image based on the calculated adjustment, the predictive image being indicative of a printed image following implementation of the adjustment to the high-speed print device.

19. A printing machine comprising:

a high-speed print device configured to receive a print media and discharge a printed product that includes a printed image;

an image capturing device positioned adjacent the print device and configured to capture an image of the printed image on the printed product;

a computer including a monitor, a processor, and an input device, the monitor configured to display the captured image, and the input device configured to allow a user to vary the displayed image; and

a predictive module configured to calculate an adjustment to the high-speed print device and a predictive image based on the calculated adjustment, the predictive image being representative of a resultant image on the printed product following implementation of the calculated adjustment to the high-speed print device.

20. The printing machine of claim 19, wherein the high-speed print device includes a plurality of adjustable ink control devices.

21. The printing machine of claim 20, wherein the adjustment includes the movement of at least one of the ink control devices to vary the flow of ink to a portion of the print media.

22. The printing machine of claim 21, wherein the input device is adapted to directly input the movement of the at least one ink control device.

23. The printing machine of claim 19, wherein the captured image captured by the image capturing device is color-correct.

24. The printing machine of claim 23, wherein the image capturing device includes a multi-tap CCD.

25. The printing machine of claim 19, wherein the monitor displays a color-correct image.

26. The printing machine of claim 19, wherein the computer and the predictive module are remote from the high-speed print device and the high-speed print device includes a first transceiver and the computer includes a second transceiver to facilitate communication therebetween.

27. The printing machine of claim 19, wherein the input device is adapted to select a portion of the displayed image to manipulate a color within the selected portion.

28. A printing machine comprising:

a high-speed print device configured to receive a print media and discharge a printed product that includes a printed image;

an image capturing device positioned adjacent the print device and configured to capture an image of the printed image on the printed product;

a first transmission device configured to transmit a color-correct image of the captured image;

a remote computer configured to receive the color-correct image, the computer including a monitor, a processor, and an input device, the monitor configured to display the color-correct image, the input device configured to allow a user to vary the displayed image, and the processor configured to calculate an adjustment to the print device in response to the varied image; and

a second transmission device coupled to the remote computer and operable to transmit the adjustment to the high-speed print device.

29. The printing machine of claim 28, wherein the high-speed print device includes a plurality of adjustable ink control devices.

30. The printing machine of claim 29, wherein the adjustment includes the movement of at least one of the ink control devices to vary the flow of ink to a portion of the print media.

31. The printing machine of claim 30, wherein the input device is adapted to directly input the movement of the at least one ink control device.

32. The printing machine of claim 28, wherein the captured image captured by the image capturing device is color-correct.

33. The printing machine of claim 32, wherein the image capturing device includes a multi-tap CCD.

34. The printing machine of claim 28, wherein the monitor displays a color-correct image.

35. The printing machine of claim 28, wherein the input device is adapted to select a portion of the displayed image to manipulate a color within the selected portion.

36. The printing machine of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a predictive image based on the calculated adjustment, the predictive image being indicative of the printed image following implementation of the adjustment to the high-speed print device.

37. A method of controlling a printing machine, the method comprising;

operating a high-speed print device to produce printed product having a printed image;

capturing an image of the printed image from the printed product while the printed product is on the high-speed print device;

transmitting the captured image to a computer;

displaying an image of the captured image;

selectively manipulating a user interface control to produce a varied image;

calculating an adjustment to the high-speed print device in response to the varied image; and

transmitting the adjustment to the high-speed print device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the capturing an image step includes capturing a portion of the image from a plurality of different printed products and assembling the captured portions to complete the captured image.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the capturing an image step includes capturing a color-correct image.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the displayed image is color-correct.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the selectively manipulating step includes selecting a portion of the displayed image and varying the color of that portion.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising calculating a predicted image in response to the calculated adjustment.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising displaying the predicted image.