Obstructed-field-indicia-sensing device

Claim 1

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and repeating in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating, longitudinally spaced apart graphics portions lying entirely within a narrow width path extending longitudinally of the web wherein said plurality of graphics portions are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) using a selected repeating portions of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating other portion of said repeating graphics portions as code indicia; (c) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in said narrow width longitudinally extending path which includes said register indicia and said code indicia and generating an indicia detection signal indicative of the passage of all indicia in said indicia detection path; (d) analyzing said indicia detection signal base upon a first set of criteria associated with said code indicia until detecting a portion of said indicia detection signal which corresponds to said code indicia; (e) using said detected portion of said signal which corresponds to said code indicia as a reference point, further analyzing said detection signal based upon a second set of criteria associated with said register indicia to determine the portion of said detection signal which corresponds to said register indicia.

Claim 2

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and repeating in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating, longitudinally spaced apart graphics portions lying entirely within a narrow width path extending longitudinally of the web wherein said plurality of graphics portions are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) using a selected repeating portions of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating other portion of said repeating graphics portions as code indicia; (c) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in said narrow width longitudinally extending path which includes said register indicia and said code indicia and generating an indicia detection signal indicative of the passage of all indicia in said indicia detection path; (d) analyzing said indicia detection signal base upon a first set of criteria associated with said code indicia until detecting a portion of said indicia detection signal which corresponds to said code indicia; (e) using said detected portion of said signal which corresponds to said code indicia as a reference point, further analyzing said detection signal based upon a second set of criteria associated with said register indicia to determine the portion of said detection signal which corresponds to said register indicia.

Claim 11

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating graphics portions which are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) using one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics which lies in a different narrow width sensing path from said register indicia and which have a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions which lie in a common narrow width sensing path with said register indicia and which have a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a first longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said first code indicia and generating a first indicia detection signal representative thereof; (e) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a second longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said repeating register indicia and said second code of indicia and generating a second indicia detection signal representative thereof; (f) analyzing said first indicia detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said first indicia pattern; (g) analyzing said second indicia detection signal based upon a second set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said second indicia pattern; (h) comparing the relationship between the occurrence of an indicia pattern in said first signal conforming to said first indicia pattern and the occurrence of an indicia pattern in said second signal conforming to said second indicia pattern with a predetermined standard; (i) upon finding indicia pattern occurrences conforming to said predetermined standard, further analyzing said second indicia detection signal using the detected occurrence of indicia conforming to said predetermined second indicia pattern as a reference position to determine the portion of said second detection signal which corresponds to the passage of a register indicia.

Claim 12

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating graphics portions which are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) using one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics which lies in a different narrow width sensing path from said register indicia and which have a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions which lie in a common narrow width sensing path with said register indicia and which have a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a first longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said first code indicia and generating a first indicia detection signal representative thereof; (e) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a second longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said repeating register indicia and said second code of indicia and generating a second indicia detection signal representative thereof; (f) analyzing said first indicia detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said first indicia pattern; (g) analyzing said second indicia detection signal based upon a second set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said second indicia pattern; (h) comparing the relationship between the occurrence of an indicia pattern in said first signal conforming to said first indicia pattern and the occurrence of an indicia pattern in said second signal conforming to said second indicia pattern with a predetermined standard; (i) upon finding indicia pattern occurrences conforming to said predetermined standard, further analyzing said second indicia detection signal using the detected occurrence of indicia conforming to said predetermined second indicia pattern as a reference position to determine the portion of said second detection signal which corresponds to the passage of a register indicia.

Claim 17

A method according of monitoring the relative position of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating graphics portions which are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another, comprising the steps of: (a) using one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics which lies in a different narrow width sensing path from said register indicia and which have a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions which lie in a common narrow width sensing path with said register indicia and which have a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a first longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said repeating first set of indicia and generating a first indicia detection signal representative thereof; (e) analyzing said first indicia detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said predetermined first indicia pattern; (f) upon detecting a portion of said first detection signal conforming to said predetermined first indicia pattern and using that detected signal portion as a reference position continuously sensing the passage of all indicia in said second detection path for a preset duration; (g) analyzing said second indicia detection signal based upon a second set of criteria for conformance of a portion of said second signal to said second predetermined indicia pattern; (h) upon detecting a portion of said second signal conforming to said second predetermined indicia pattern further analyzing said detected signal portion of determine the portion thereof which corresponds to a register indicia.

Claim 18

A method according of monitoring the relative position of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating graphics portions which are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another, comprising the steps of: (a) using one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics which lies in a different narrow width sensing path from said register indicia and which have a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) using at least one selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions which lie in a common narrow width sensing path with said register indicia and which have a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) continuously sensing the passage of every indicia in a first longitudinally extending indicia detection path which includes said repeating first set of indicia and generating a first indicia detection signal representative thereof; (e) analyzing said first indicia detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said predetermined first indicia pattern; (f) upon detecting a portion of said first detection signal conforming to said predetermined first indicia pattern and using that detected signal portion as a reference position continuously sensing the passage of all indicia in said second detection path for a preset duration; (g) analyzing said second indicia detection signal based upon a second set of criteria for conformance of a portion of said second signal to said second predetermined indicia pattern; (h) upon detecting a portion of said second signal conforming to said second predetermined indicia pattern further analyzing said detected signal portion of determine the portion thereof which corresponds to a register indicia.

Claim 22

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating, longitudinally spaced apart graphics portions lying extending within a narrow width path extending longitudinally of the web wherein said plurality of graphics portions are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) designating a selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) designating at least one other selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions having a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) designating at least one other of said repeating graphics portions having a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) initially detecting every indicia in a single narrow width detection path including said first and second code indicia and said register indicia and generating a detection signal representative thereof; (e) analyzing said detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said first indicia pattern; (f) interrupting the detection of indicia for a predetermined interval; (g) resuming detection of every indicia in said narrow width detection path and resuming generation of a signal representative thereof; (h) analyzing said resumed detection signal based upon a second set of criteria for selecting a portion thereof representative of said register indicia.

Claim 23

A method of monitoring the relative portion of preselected portions of a web of material of the type having aligned, substantially identical repeating graphics patterns thereon extending across the entire width of the web and occurring in approximately equal repeat length intervals along the length of the web, wherein each repeating graphics pattern comprises a plurality of repeating, longitudinally spaced apart graphics portions lying extending within a narrow width path extending longitudinally of the web wherein said plurality of graphics portions are longitudinally spaced apart at substantially different distances from one another and wherein said narrow width path also includes randomly occurring and randomly spaced indicia, comprising the steps of: (a) designating a selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions as a register indicia; (b) designating at least one other selected repeating portion of said repeating graphics portions having a first indicia pattern as first code indicia; (c) designating at least one other of said repeating graphics portions having a second indicia pattern as second code indicia; (d) initially detecting every indicia in a single narrow width detection path including said first and second code indicia and said register indicia and generating a detection signal representative thereof; (e) analyzing said detection signal based upon a first set of criteria until detecting a portion thereof which conforms to said first indicia pattern; (f) interrupting the detection of indicia for a predetermined interval; (g) resuming detection of every indicia in said narrow width detection path and resuming generation of a signal representative thereof; (h) analyzing said resumed detection signal based upon a second set of criteria for selecting a portion thereof representative of said register indicia.