Apparatus, system, and method for print quality measurements using multiple adjustable sensors

• US 8,017,927 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Shakespeare, Tarja T., Shakespeare, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Thanh X
• Application Number:
  US11/303,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20070144388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 250/559.04, 356/429, 347/19
• US Class Current: 250/559.04
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0045 for automatically regulating the ink supply

Abstract

An apparatus includes at least one scanner. Each scanner includes a plurality of sensors, and each sensor is capable of measuring one or more characteristics associated with a portion of a substrate. The substrate has printing produced by a printing system. The apparatus also includes a controller capable of receiving at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors and determining a quality of the printing on the substrate using the received measurements. The substrate could represent paper, and the printing system could represent an offset printing system. At least one of the sensors may be in a fixed position and/or at least one of the sensors may be movable over part of a surface of the substrate. The determined quality of the printing could involve density, dot area, dot gain, contour sharpness, doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, slur, or improper positioning of the printing.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a scanner comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics associated with a different portion of a substrate, the substrate having printing produced by a printing system, wherein a location of at least one of the sensors is adjustable in relation to at least one other of the sensors to achieve optimal measurements for a particular printing; and

a controller configured to receive at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors and to determine a quality of the printing on the substrate using the received measurements;

wherein at least a first of the sensors is slidably mounted on a frame and attached to a guide, and at least a second of the sensors is fixably mounted on the frame; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a guide mover configured to move the guide so as to move at least the first sensor across part of a surface of the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein multiple ones of the sensors are mounted on the frame at an uneven spacing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of densitometers and at least one of a camera and a microscope.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine the quality of the printing by one or more of:

determining if the printing is suffering from at least one of;

doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, and slur; and

determining if the printing is located in an acceptable position on the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of scanners, each scanner associated with a different side of the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the printing system comprises an offset printing system; and

the substrate comprises paper.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a scanner comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a substantially linear row, each sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics associated with a different portion of a substrate, the substrate having printing produced by a printing system, wherein a location of at least some of the sensors is adjustable in relation to other sensors to achieve optimal measurements for a particular printing; and

a controller configured to receive at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors and to determine a quality of the printing on the substrate using the received measurements;

wherein the scanner further comprises at least one calibration tile disposed in a housing of the scanner, the at least one calibration tile having a known color, the at least one calibration tile used to calibrate one or more of the sensors.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein multiple ones of the sensors are mounted on a frame at an uneven spacing.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

at least a first of the sensors is slidably mounted on a frame and attached to a guide, and at least a second of the sensors is fixably mounted on the frame; and

the apparatus further comprises a guide mover configured to move the guide so as to move at least the first sensor across part of a surface of the substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to determine the quality of the printing by one or more of:

determining if at least one of a density, a dot area, a dot gain, and a sharpness of contours of the printing is acceptable;

determining if the printing is suffering from at least one of;

doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, and slur; and

determining if the printing is located in an acceptable position on the substrate.

11. A system, comprising:

a printing system configured to produce printing on a substrate;

a print quality monitor comprising a scanner, the scanner comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics associated with a different portion of the substrate, wherein a location of at least one of the sensors is adjustable in relation to at least one other of the sensors to achieve optimal measurements for a particular printing; and

a controller configured to receive at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors and to determine a quality of the printing on the substrate using the received measurements;

wherein at least a first of the sensors is slidably mounted on a frame and attached to a guide, and at least a second of the sensors is fixably mounted on the frame; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a guide mover configured to move the guide so as to move at least the first sensor across part of a surface of the substrate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises one or more of:

a densitometer, a spectrophotometer, a colorimeter, a camera, and a microscope.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine the quality of the printing by one or more of:

determining if at least one of a density, a dot area, a dot gain, and a sharpness of contours of the printing is acceptable;

determining if the printing is suffering from at least one of;

doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, and slur; and

determining if the printing is located in an acceptable position on the substrate.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises one of:

a controller residing in the print quality monitor; and

a controller residing external to the print quality monitor.

15. A system, comprising:

a printing system configured to produce printing on a substrate;

a print quality monitor comprising a scanner, the scanner comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a substantially linear row, each sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics associated with a different portion of the substrate, wherein a location of at least one of the sensors is adjustable in relation to at least one other of the sensors to achieve optimal measurements for a particular printing; and

a controller configured to receive at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors and to determine a quality of the printing on the substrate using the received measurements;

wherein the scanner further comprises at least one calibration tile disposed in a housing of the scanner, the at least one calibration tile having a known color, the at least one calibration tile used to calibrate one or more of the sensors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

at least a first of the sensors is slidably mounted on a frame and attached to a guide, and at least a second of the sensors is fixably mounted on the frame; and

the print quality monitor further comprises a guide mover configured to move the guide so as to move at least the first sensor across part of a surface of the substrate.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to determine the quality of the printing by one or more of:

determining if at least one of a density, a dot area, a dot gain, and a sharpness of contours of the printing is acceptable;

determining if the printing is suffering from at least one of;

doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, and slur; and

determining if the printing is located in an acceptable position on the substrate.

18. A method, comprising:

measuring one or more characteristics associated with portions of a substrate using a scanner, the scanner comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor associated with a different portion of the substrate, the substrate having printing produced by a printing system;

adjusting a location of at least one of the sensors in relation to at least one other of the sensors to achieve optimal measurements for a particular printing; and

determining a quality of the printing on the substrate using at least some of the measurements from the plurality of sensors;

wherein at least a first of the sensors is slidably mounted on a frame and attached to a guide, and at least a second of the sensors is fixably mounted on the frame; and

wherein adjusting the location of at least one of the sensors comprises moving the guide so as to move at least the first sensor across part of a surface of the substrate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

measuring the one or more characteristics comprises measuring the one or more characteristics using one or more of;

a densitometer, a spectrophotometer, a colorimeter, a camera, and a microscope; and

determining the quality of the printing comprises one or more of;

determining if at least one of a density, a dot area, a dot gain, and a sharpness of contours of the printing is acceptable;

determining if the printing is suffering from at least one of;

doubling, mottling, ghosting, misregister of different colored inks, and slur; and

determining if the printing is located in an acceptable position on the substrate.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the scanner further comprises at least one calibration tile disposed in a housing of the scanner, the at least one calibration tile having a known color; and

the method further comprises using the at least one calibration tile to calibrate one or more of the sensors.