Method and Apparatus for Improving Registration and Skew End of Line Checking in Production

• US 20130220157A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: HENG, Too Mui
• Granted Patent: US 9,248,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/481
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0081 Devices for scanning register marks
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2233/52 for registering

Abstract

System, method, article for determining registration and/or skew errors in a print medium with respect to a printing element includes a print medium including a two-dimensional pattern including a grid within a geometric shape. The grid has a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point; the collection of data points defining a data set. The geometric shape is in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric rings; an innermost one enclosing at least one of the X-Y positional data points in the data set. The printing element provides a marker onto the print medium. The positional location of the marker with respect to the one of the at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point defines a directional displacement vector for correcting registration and/or skew error between the print medium and the printing element.

Claims

1. A system for determining registration and/or skew errors in a print medium with respect to a printing element, the system comprising:

a print medium including a two-dimensional pattern comprising a grid within a geometric shape;

said grid having a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point, the collection of said X-Y positional data points of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines of said grid defining a data set useful for correcting a registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

said geometric shape being in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric circular rings, an innermost one of said plurality of concentric circular rings forming a bulls-eye, said bulls-eye enclosing at least one of said X-Y positional data points in said data set, the cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point being located at or near the center of said bulls-eye;

said printing element placing a marker onto said print medium for use in determining said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

wherein the positional location of said marker with respect to said cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point defines a directional displacement vector for correcting said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the printing element is a thermal printhead.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said grid size is in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm

4. The system of claim 1 where said grid size is 0.5 mm, about 0.5 mm, or less.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said print medium is selected from a group consisting of a label, a sheet of paper, plastic, and other physical media for printable text or images.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the positional location of said marker with respect to said one of said at least one enclosed cross-hair of said X-Y positional data point defining said directional displacement vector is determined by a processor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said printing element is used with a printer selected from a group consisting of a laser printer, a jet printer, a thermal transfer printer, an electrostatic printer, and a lithographic printer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said print medium includes a plurality of said two-dimensional patterns.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said printing element places a plurality of said markers onto said print medium for use in determining said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said grid of at least two of said plurality of said two-dimensional patterns are of a different scale.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said plurality of said two-dimensional patterns comprises four two dimensional patterns located in each of the four corners of said print medium.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each said grid in each said four two dimensional patterns is of a different scale taken from the group consisting of 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm.

13. A method for determining registration and/or skew errors in a print medium with respect to a printing element, the method comprising:

providing a print medium including a two-dimensional pattern including a grid within a geometric shape;

said grid having a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point, the collection of said X-Y positional data points of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines of said grid defining a data set useful for correcting a registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

said geometric shape being in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric circular rings, an innermost one of said plurality of concentric circular rings forming a bulls-eye, said bulls-eye enclosing at least one of said X-Y positional data points in said data set, the cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point being located at or near the center of said bulls-eye;

placing onto said print medium a marker for use in determining said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

determining a positional location of said marker with respect to said cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point to define a directional displacement vector for correcting said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

correcting said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element using said directional displacement vector.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the print element is a thermal printhead.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a print medium comprises providing a print medium wherein said grid size is in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a print medium comprises providing a print medium wherein said grid size is 0.5 mm, about 0.5 mm, or less.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a print medium comprises providing a print medium wherein said print medium is selected from the group consisting of a label, a sheet of paper, plastic, and other physical media for printable text or images.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein determining a positional location of said marker with respect to said cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point comprises using a processor to determine said displacement vector.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said printing element is used with a printer selected from a group consisting of a laser printer, a jet printer, a thermal transfer printer, an electrostatic printer, and a lithographic printer.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said print medium includes a plurality of said two-dimensional patterns.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said printing element places a plurality of said markers onto said print medium for use in determining said registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said plurality of said two-dimensional patters comprises four two dimensional patterns located in each of the four corners of said print medium.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein each said grid in each said four two dimensional patterns is of a different scale taken from the group consisting of 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm

24. An article of manufacture for use in determining a registration and/or skew error in a print medium with respect to a printing element, the article of manufacture comprising:

a print medium including a grid within a geometric shape, said grid having a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point, the collection of said X-Y positional data points of each one of said vertical and horizontal lines of said grid defining a data set useful for correcting a registration and/or skew error between said print medium and said printing element;

said geometric shape being in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric circular rings, an innermost one of said plurality of concentric circular rings forming a bulls-eye, said bulls-eye enclosing at least one of said X-Y positional data points in said data set, the cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point being located at or near the center of said bulls-eye,

the grid configured such that a positional relationship on the grid between a mark produced on the printed medium by the printing element and said cross-hair defining said at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point defines a directional displacement vector for correcting said registration and/or skew error in said printing element.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein said printing element is a thermal printhead.