US5828075A — Apparatus for scanning colored registration marks

Claim 1

Independent Claim 390 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web by a plurality of printing cylinders of a printing press, said printing cylinders having a printing cylinder circumference, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light, said reflectance signal having a signal level; a variable gain amplifier operatively coupled to said detecting means for amplifying said reflectance signal, said amplifier having a variable gain; a level shift circuit for shifting the signal level of said reflectance signal; control means coupled to said variable gain amplifier and said level shift circuit for controllably adjusting said variable gain and said variable offset amount to transform said reflectance signal into a normalized reference signal having a predetermined signal range defined by a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value; means for determining a baseline level of said normalized reflectance signal, said baseline level corresponding to the reflectivity of a portion of said moving web having substantially no printed matter thereon; means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a first threshold and a second threshold to generate at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web, each of said first and second thresholds having a magnitude based upon said baseline level, said control means comprising: means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal at a sampling rate to generate a number of scan values corresponding to a length of said moving web, said length being at least as large as said printing cylinder circumference and said sampling rate being high enough to detect said reference marks, each of said scan values having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means, one of said scan values having a maximum value and one of said scan values having a minimum value; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for adjusting said signal level and said variable gain and based upon said one scan value having a maximum value and said one scan value having a minimum value.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 390 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web by a plurality of printing cylinders of a printing press, said printing cylinders having a printing cylinder circumference, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light, said reflectance signal having a signal level; a variable gain amplifier operatively coupled to said detecting means for amplifying said reflectance signal, said amplifier having a variable gain; a level shift circuit for shifting the signal level of said reflectance signal; control means coupled to said variable gain amplifier and said level shift circuit for controllably adjusting said variable gain and said variable offset amount to transform said reflectance signal into a normalized reference signal having a predetermined signal range defined by a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value; means for determining a baseline level of said normalized reflectance signal, said baseline level corresponding to the reflectivity of a portion of said moving web having substantially no printed matter thereon; means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a first threshold and a second threshold to generate at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web, each of said first and second thresholds having a magnitude based upon said baseline level, said control means comprising: means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal at a sampling rate to generate a number of scan values corresponding to a length of said moving web, said length being at least as large as said printing cylinder circumference and said sampling rate being high enough to detect said reference marks, each of said scan values having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means, one of said scan values having a maximum value and one of said scan values having a minimum value; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for adjusting said signal level and said variable gain and based upon said one scan value having a maximum value and said one scan value having a minimum value.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a photodiode.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 78 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for determining a baseline level of said normalized reflectance signal comprises: means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of predetermined ranges; means for determining a baseline range from said plurality of said predetermined ranges, said baseline range having the largest number of said scan values; and means for determining said baseline level based upon said baseline range determined by said determining means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said comparing means comprises: a first comparator that compares said normalized reflectance signal with said first threshold; and a second comparator that compares said normalized reflectance signal with said second threshold.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 15 words

An apparatus as defined in claim. 1 wherein said sampling means comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 115 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for determining a baseline level of said reflectance signal, said baseline level corresponding to the reflectivity of a portion of said moving web having substantially no printed matter thereon.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 115 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for determining a baseline level of said reflectance signal, said baseline level corresponding to the reflectivity of a portion of said moving web having substantially no printed matter thereon.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 111 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said scan values has a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means, and wherein said means for determining a baseline level comprises: means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of predetermined ranges of values based on said magnitudes of said scan values; means for determining a baseline range from said plurality of said predetermined ranges, said baseline range having the largest number of said scan values; and means for determining said baseline level based upon said baseline range determined by said determining means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said assigning means comprises means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of overlapping ranges.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 81 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said assigning means comprises means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of overlapping ranges of values including a first range of values bounded by an upper value and a lower value and a second range of values bounded by an upper value and a lower value, said lower value of said second range of values being less than said upper value of said first range of values.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 45 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a threshold signal based upon said baseline level and generating at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 58 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a first threshold signal and a second threshold signal and generating at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web, said first and second threshold signals being based on said baseline level.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 95 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for determining a baseline level of said reflectance signal.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 95 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values; memory means for storing said scan values; and means for determining a baseline level of said reflectance signal.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 111 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein each of said scan values has a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means, and wherein said means for determining a baseline level comprises: means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of predetermined ranges of values based on said magnitudes of said scan values; means for determining a baseline range from said plurality of said predetermined ranges, said baseline range having the largest number of said scan values; and means for determining said baseline level based upon said baseline range determined by said determining means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said assigning means comprises means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of overlapping ranges.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 81 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said assigning means comprises means for assigning each of said scan values to one of a plurality of overlapping ranges of values including a first range of values bounded by an upper value and a lower value and a second range of values bounded by an upper value and a lower value, said lower value of said second range of values being less than said upper value of said first range of values.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 additionally comprising means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a threshold signal based upon said baseline level and generating at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 58 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 12 additionally comprising means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a first threshold signal and a second threshold signal and generating at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web, said first and second threshold signals being based. on said baseline level.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 148 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; a signal conditioning circuit coupled to said detector for changing a parameter of said reflectance signal; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values, each of said scan values having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means; memory means for storing said scan values; and control means coupled to signal conditioning circuit for controllably adjusting said parameter of said reflectance signal based upon said scan values.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 148 words

An apparatus for scanning colored registration marks printed on a moving web, said apparatus comprising: a photoemitter for generating a beam of light directed at a moving web having a plurality of registration marks printed thereon; a detector for detecting an amount of light reflected from said moving web and generating a reflectance signal having a magnitude relating to said amount of light; a signal conditioning circuit coupled to said detector for changing a parameter of said reflectance signal; means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal to generate a number of scan values, each of said scan values having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said reflectance signal when said reflectance signal was sampled by said sampling means; memory means for storing said scan values; and control means coupled to signal conditioning circuit for controllably adjusting said parameter of said reflectance signal based upon said scan values.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said control means comprises means for controllably adjusting said signal conditioning circuit so that said reflectance signal is converted to a normalized reflectance signal having a predetermined signal range.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said control means comprises means for controllably adjusting said signal conditioning circuit so that said reflectance signal is converted to a normalized reflectance signal having a predetermined signal range having a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 63 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein one of said scan values has a minimum value and one of said scan values has a maximum value and wherein said control means comprises means for controllably adjusting said parameter of said reflectance signal based upon said one scan value having a minimum value and said one scan value having a maximum scan value.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 52 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said printing cylinders have a printing cylinder circumference and wherein said sampling means comprises means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal for a duration corresponding to a length of said moving web, said length being at least as large as said printing cylinder circumference.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 36 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein said sampling means comprises means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal at a sampling rate high enough to obtain reflectance data relating to one of said registration marks.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said sampling means comprises means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal for a duration corresponding to a predetermined web length.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said sampling means comprises means for periodically sampling said reflectance signal for a duration corresponding to a predetermined web length defined by a start location and a stop location.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 additionally comprising means for comparing said normalized reflectance signal with a threshold to generate at least one detect signal indicating detection of one of said registration marks printed on said moving web.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 27 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said signal conditioning circuit comprises a variable gain amplifier operatively coupled to said detector for amplifying said reflectance signal.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said signal conditioning circuit comprises a level shift circuit for shifting the signal level of said reflectance signal by a variable offset amount.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-10-26	2002-04-27	2002-10-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-10-26	2006-04-27	2006-10-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-10-26	2010-04-27	2010-10-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for scanning colored registration marks

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