Printer read after print correlation method

• US 7,891,892 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TSC Auto ID Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Printronix
• Inventors: Chiu, Lihu
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla; Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamdan; Wasseem H.
• Application Number:
  US10/850,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20040213617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 400/103, 400/704, 400/711, 400/74, 400/611, 400/582, 400/120.01, 347/211, 347/195, 347/68, 156/256, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 400/103
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

A printer and a process for correlating printed subject matter with subject matter that is meant to be printed by a printer with a printing mechanism or print engine such as a thermal printer including a print head, a platen, a media upon which labels are printed and a printer controller for imparting print data to the print head. An imager sends printed data as imaged to a read after print (RAP) controller for comparing the data received from the imager to data imparted to the print head or other printing mechanism. A tap, taps the data imparted from the print head and correlates it with the imaged data to determine the media speed, the image alignment, label analysis, weighing of blemishes, the gaps printed on a label, and other criteria.

Claims

1. A method of printing comprising:

providing a thermal printer with a print head, a platen, a media upon which labels can be printed, a print ribbon for printing on said media and a printer controller;

moving said media and said print ribbon for printing by said print head;

detecting images having been printed on said label;

tapping data from said printer controller to said print head;

comparing the images on said label or the tapped data from said printer controller with a non-local pre-established standard, wherein the non-local pre-established standard comprises an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) qualification or other bar code standard;

compensating for the speed of the media;

comparing component features of a label having been printed to determine if they match features extracted from a bit map for said label;

determining coordinates of the label printed; and

, analyzing gray scale data on said label to determine if the label meets the pre-established standard.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

casting a light on said label;

sensing the variances of light on said label; and

,

processing the variances of light in a controller which receives the tapped data from said printer controller.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

weighing the criticality of blemishes on a printed label after comparison of the image on said label with the tapped data from said printer controller.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising;

rotating the image of said label into the print head'"'"'s coordinate system.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the edges of labels printed on said media and,

detecting the position of groupings of printed images relative to the edges.

6. A process of determining the quality of a thermal printed label comprising:

providing a thermal printer having a thermal print head, a rotatably driven platen, a printer controller, a source of media for printing upon, and a print ribbon for thermally printing a label on said media;

imaging a label with an imager after printing;

providing data as imaged from said label;

tapping data from said printer controller;

comparing tapped data from said printer controller or data from said imager against a non-local pre-established standard for making an evaluation of the quality of said printed label, wherein the non-local pre-established standard comprises an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) qualification or other bar code standard;

compensating for the speed of the media;

comparing component features of a label having been printed to determine if they match features extracted from a bit map for said label;

determining coordinates of the label printed; and

,

analyzing gray scale data on said label to determine if the label meets the pre-established standard.

7. The process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

reading the label with photo sensors in said imager as to gray scale values thereof.

8. The process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

providing a motor for rotating said platen; and

,

tapping the speed of said motor to control the velocity of said media.

9. The process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

detecting edges on a label; and

,

determining a position of groupings of printed images on said label relative to the edges.

10. The process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

rotating the image sensed by said imager to align it with the print head'"'"'s coordinate system.

11. The process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

establishing the pre-established standard against the image of said label as to quality; and

,

weighing said criteria against a pre-established weighting scale.

12. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the comparing comprises comparing accumulated defects on said printed label with corresponding thresholds of the non-local pro-established standard.