System and method for adjusting an on-line appearance sensor system

• US 8,401,809 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Shakespeare, John F., Shakespeare, Tarja T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US12/834,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/104, 702/116, 702/117, 702/127, 702/188, 702/159, 702/172, 250/559.01, 356/72, 356/73, 356/328, 356/402, 356/425, 356/589
• US Class Current: 702/104
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 9/0009 Paper-making control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/86 Investigating moving sheets G01N21/89 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/346 paper sheets

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method are provided for adjusting an on-line appearance sensor system (OnLASS) for color and other appearance characteristic(s) of a web product produced during a production run of a web production system. The OnLASS is calibrated and its setting(s) are sent to a color error minimizer (CEM). The OnLASS measures a first appearance characteristic of the web product during the production run and the on-line measurement is sent to the CEM. After the production run, a second appearance characteristic of the web product is measured with an off-line appearance sensor system (OffLASS) and the off-line measurement is sent to the CEM. The CEM compares the on-line and off-line appearance measurements and adjusts at least one setting based on the comparison. The adjusted setting(s) are sent to the OnLASS.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an on-line appearance measurement of a web of material from an on-line appearance sensor system taken during a production run of the web;

receiving an off-line appearance measurement of the web from an off-line appearance sensor system taken after the production run;

comparing the on-line appearance measurement to the off-line appearance measurement;

identifying at least one adjusted setting of the on-line appearance sensor system based on the comparison; and

sending the at least one adjusted setting to the on-line appearance sensor system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted setting is identified based on at least one of a static performance issue and a dynamic performance issue associated with the on-line appearance sensor system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one adjusted setting comprises at least one of:

optimizing photometric calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for L*;

optimizing ultraviolet (UV) energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for b*; and

optimizing brightness measurement photometric and UV energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for Brt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one adjusted setting comprises at least one of:

optimizing an infinite stack estimation parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for a*, L* and b*; and

optimizing a production variable compensation parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for b* and Brt.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the web of material has a grade; and

the method further comprises comparing the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run of the web and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with the same grade.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the web of material has a first grade; and

the method further comprises comparing the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run of the web and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with a different second grade.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjusted setting comprises at least one of:

a compensation parameter and a calibration parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing sensor measurements of an additional production run using the on-line appearance sensor system with the at least one adjusted setting.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one input/output circuit; and

at least one processing device configured to;

receive, via the at least one input/output circuit, one or more settings of an on-line appearance sensor system;

receive, via the at least one input/output circuit, an on-line appearance measurement from the on-line appearance sensor system, the on-line appearance measurement representative of an appearance characteristic of a web of material produced during a production run;

receive, via the at least one input/output circuit, an off-line appearance measurement from an off-line appearance sensor system, the off-line appearance measurement representative of the appearance characteristic of the web after the production run;

compare the on-line appearance measurement to the off-line appearance measurement;

identify at least one adjusted setting based on the comparison; and

send, via the at least one input/output circuit, the at least one adjusted setting to the on-line appearance sensor system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting based on at least one of:

a static performance issue and a dynamic performance issue.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting by at least one of:

optimizing photometric calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for L*;

optimizing ultraviolet (UV) energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for b*; and

optimizing brightness measurement photometric and UV energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for Brt.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting by at least one of:

optimizing an infinite stack estimation parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for a*, L* and b*; and

optimizing a production variable compensation parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for b* and Brt.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the web of material has a grade; and

the at least one processing device is further configured to compare the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with the same grade.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the web of material has a first grade; and

the at least one processing device is further configured to compare the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with a different second grade.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more settings comprise at least one of:

a compensation parameter and a calibration parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to send the at least one adjusted setting to the on-line appearance sensor system so that the on-line appearance sensor system is configured to capture sensor measurements of an additional production run using the at least one adjusted setting.

17. A system, comprising:

an on-line appearance sensor system configured to measure an appearance characteristic of a web of material produced during a production run;

an off-line appearance sensor system configured to measure the appearance characteristic of the web after the production run; and

an error minimizer configured to;

receive one or more settings of the on-line appearance sensor system;

receive an on-line appearance measurement representative of the appearance characteristic of the web from the on-line appearance sensor system;

receive an off-line appearance measurement representative of the appearance characteristic of the web from the off-line appearance sensor system;

compare the on-line appearance measurement to the off-line appearance measurement;

identify at least one adjusted setting based on the comparison; and

send the at least one adjusted setting to the on-line appearance sensor system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the error minimizer is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting based on at least one of:

a static performance issue and a dynamic performance issue associated with the on-line appearance sensor system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the error minimizer is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting by at least one of:

optimizing photometric calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for L*;

optimizing ultraviolet (UV) energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for b*; and

optimizing brightness measurement photometric and UV energy calibration of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for Brt.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the error minimizer is configured to identify the at least one adjusted setting by at least one of:

optimizing an infinite stack estimation parameter of the on-line appearance sensor system using on-line and off-line measured values for a*, L* and b*; and

optimizing a production variable compensation parameter using on-line and off-line measured values for b* and Brt.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the web of material has a grade; and

the error minimizer is further configured to compare the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with the same grade.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the web of material has a first grade; and

the error minimizer is further configured to compare the on-line appearance measurement and the off-line appearance measurement to a second on-line appearance measurement from a second production run and a second off-line appearance measurement from the second production run, the second production run associated with a different second grade.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the error minimizer is configured to send the at least one adjusted setting to the on-line appearance sensor system so that the on-line appearance sensor system is configured to capture sensor measurements of an additional production run using the at least one adjusted setting.