Camera based ink application verification
View Patent ↗The present application relates to a method, apparatus and programmable product for verifying print quality of a document assembled on a document manufacturing device. In particular, a system and related method for performing print quality assessment of the document in real-time during manufacture of the document are provided. The present teachings allow for identification of the inherent qualities or pre-existing print markings of the document as a separate process from that of a process for identification and verification of markings applied onto the document by the print operation. In this way, a determination of print quality may be determined irrespective of the influence of the inherent qualities or pre-existing print markings.
1. A method for performing print quality assessment of an output document in real-time during manufacture of the output document by a document manufacturing device, the method comprising steps of:
receiving data representative of an input document upon which pre-print data is applied;
applying, by way of a printing device, printing onto the input document based on print file instructions to produce the output document;
acquiring image data representative of the output document containing both the pre-print data and the printing applied thereon;
comparing:
the received data representative of the input document and the print file instructions used to produce the output document with the acquired image data representative of the output document to extract a representation of the printing by way of print item processing;
determining whether or not there is any difference between the representation of the printing, the data representative of the input document and the print file instructions; and
rendering a print quality assessment based on results of the determining step to affect subsequent processing of the output document, wherein the rendering step includes providing a sufficient print quality notification following a determination that the representation of the printing matches the print file instructions and the data representative of the input document.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving step includes:
receiving information relating to one or more characteristics of the input document, the one or more characteristics being selected from one or more of: a crease, a fold, a wrinkle, a grease mark, paper fibers, an unintended ink blot, a stain, a ridge, a surface bubble, a tear, a stretch mark, an indentation, a puncture, a hole, printed data, a logo and a picture.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the information includes:
image data or electronic representation of the input document.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the applying step includes printing one or more of the following: a barcode, an address block, text, logo, picture and a line.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acquiring step includes:
capturing an image of the output document with the printing applied thereto initially by one or more print heads.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acquiring step is performed by an imaging device which is coupled to the one or more print heads.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the comparing step is performed by way of a processor adapted store the data representative of the input document upon which pre-print data is applied, the print instructions required to produce the output document, and the acquired image data representative of the output document.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the comparing step includes:
comparing shared or common data points between the received data of the input document with the acquired image data representative of the output document.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining step includes:
performance of one or more of image comparison, pixel subtraction, image matching, image compensation and optical character recognition.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the input document is selected from a package, plastic wrapper, adhesive label, envelope or paper.
11. A computer comprising a processor, memory and a program stored in the memory, wherein execution of the program by the processor configures the computer to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .
12. An article of manufacture, comprising:
a machine readable storage medium; and
an executable program embodied in the storage medium for causing a computer to implement the steps of the method of claim 1 .
13. A method for performing print quality assessment of an output document in real-time during manufacture of the output document by a document manufacturing device, the method comprising steps of:
receiving data representative of an input document upon which pre-print data is applied;
applying, by way of a printing device, printing onto the input document based on print file instructions to produce the output document;
acquiring image data representative of the output document containing both the pre-print data and the printing applied thereon;
comparing:
the received data representative of the input document and the print file instructions used to produce the output document with the acquired image data representative of the output document to extract a representation of the printing by way of print item processing;
determining whether or not there is any difference between the representation of the printing, the data representative of the input document and the print file instructions; and
rendering a print quality assessment based on results of the determining step to affect subsequent processing of the output document, wherein the rendering step includes providing a failed print quality notification following a determination that the representation of the printing does not match the data representative of the input document and the print file instructions.
14. An ink application verification system comprising:
a comparator configured to receive and store data representative of an input document upon which pre-print data is applied, and print instructions required to produce an output document;
a printer device configured to apply printing onto the input document in accordance with the stored print instructions to produce the output document; and
an image device in communication with the comparator, the comparator configured to acquire image data of the output document containing both the pre-print data and the printing applied to the input document by the printer device, wherein:
the comparator is configured to perform a comparison of:
the received and stored data representative of the input document and the print instructions required to produce the output document with the acquired image data representative of the output document with the printing applied by the printing device to extract a representation of the printing by way of print item processing, and
the comparator is configured to render a print quality assessment based on the comparison, the assessment affecting subsequent processing of the output document with the printing applied thereon, wherein the assessment includes a sufficient print quality notification following a determination that the representation of the printing matches the data representative of the input document and the print instructions.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the subsequent processing of the output document with the printing thereon is performed by a document manufacturing device, an inserting device or a print production device.
16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the comparator further comprises a database for storing the acquired image data of the output document.
17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the comparator is configured to receive image data representative of the output document by either in-line real-time image capture of the base stock, or from a digital representation of the output document.
18. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the printer device comprises one or more ink print heads to apply ink to the input document in accordance with the print instructions.
19. The system according to claim 14 , further comprising a second image scanning device for capturing image data representative of the input document prior to application of the printing by the printer.
20. An ink application verification system comprising:
a comparator configured to receive and store data representative of an input document upon which pre-print data is applied, and print instructions required to produce an output document;
a printer device configured to apply printing onto the input document in accordance with the stored print instructions to produce the output document; and
an image device in communication with the comparator, the comparator configured to acquire image data of the output document containing the pre-print data and the printing applied to the input document by the printer device, wherein:
the comparator is configured to perform a comparison of:
the received and stored data representative of the input document and the print instructions required to produce the output document with the acquired image data representative of the output document with the printing applied by the printing device to extract a representation of the printing by way of print item processing, and
the comparator is configured to render a print quality assessment based on the comparison, the assessment affecting subsequent processing of the output document with the printing applied thereon, wherein the assessment includes a failed print quality notification following a determination that the representation of the printing does not match the data representative of the input document and the print instructions.