Method and apparatus for registration mark identification
First Claim
1. Apparatus for identifying each multiple element color component of a color-to-color registration mark comprising a pattern of a plurality of multiple element color components in a multi-color automatic registration system, comprising:
- means for locating each element of the registration mark and for determining position, color and size information for each element;
means for matching mark elements to identify each possible multiple element component based upon the position and color information to obtain possible multiple element components;
means for scoring the possible multiple element components by accumulating a score for each possible multiple element component based upon the position, color and size information; and
,means for selecting the multiple element color components to be utilized as identified multiple element color components of the registration mark based upon the scores.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method particularly suitable for use with the close loop color to color registration system of a commercial web printing apparatus utilizes a CCD camera for identifying registration marks. The registration mark composed of a pattern of dot pairs is acquired by the camera and each dot pair of the mark is identified by scoring various attributes of possible dot pairs including color, size and position. This results in highly stable and reliable acquisition of a registration mark on a printed web which may then be processed by an automated registration control system.
83 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for identifying each multiple element color component of a color-to-color registration mark comprising a pattern of a plurality of multiple element color components in a multi-color automatic registration system, comprising:
-
means for locating each element of the registration mark and for determining position, color and size information for each element; means for matching mark elements to identify each possible multiple element component based upon the position and color information to obtain possible multiple element components; means for scoring the possible multiple element components by accumulating a score for each possible multiple element component based upon the position, color and size information; and
,means for selecting the multiple element color components to be utilized as identified multiple element color components of the registration mark based upon the scores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of identifying a color to color registration mark printed on a moving web comprising a plurality of multiple element components in a multi-color automatic registration system, the method comprising the steps of:
-
acquiring an image of the registration mark and processing the mark to verify the presence of the mark; locating each element of the registration mark; determining position, color and size information for each element; identifying each possible multiple element component responsive to the position and color information to obtain possible multiple element components; accumulating a score for each possible multiple element component responsive to the position, color and size information; and
,selecting the multiple element components to be utilized as the multiple element components of an identified registration mark responsive to the scores. - View Dependent Claims (13)
-
-
14. Apparatus for an automatic color-to-color registration system in a multi-color printing apparatus wherein a registration mark comprising a pattern of a plurality of multiple element components is printed on a moving web, comprising:
-
a camera system for acquisition of an image of the registration mark printed on the moving web; processing means for processing the acquired image of the registration mark comprising means for locating each element of the registration mark and for determining position, color and size information for each element, means for matching mark elements to identify each possible multiple element component based upon the position and color information to obtain possible multiple element components, means for scoring the possible multiple element components by accumulating a score for each possible multiple element component based upon the position, color and size information, and means for selecting the color multiple element components to be utilized as identified multiple element components of the registration mark in response to the scores; means for controlling color-to-color registration on the moving web of the multi-color printing apparatus responsive to the relative positions of the multiple element components of the registration mark.
-
Specification