Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-16
2003-11-11
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644544
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to image processing apparatus and methods and more particularly relates to an imaging apparatus capable of forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, and method of assembling the apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical image processing apparatus may be a photoprocessing or printing apparatus that forms a high-quality image from an image source onto a viewable medium. An image source for a high-quality image can be an exposed roll of film or digital data obtained from a scanner, digital camera, graphics art software system, electrophotographic system or other digital source. The print operation may use inkjet technology, a thermal printhead, or exposure means (such as conventional light exposure, a laser, an LED, or a scanning CRT).
To provide its output image, the image processing apparatus uses one or more of the following consumables: paper, film, cardboard, textile, or other media on which the image is printed, including photosensitive media (paper or film) where the image is written using radiant exposure energy; chemicals, such as developer, fixer, and bleach solutions used in photoprocessing; inks and cleaning fluids used in inkjet printers; toners; ribbons, including thermal print ribbons; and laminates used to prepare or preserve the printed surface before or after imaging.
For high-quality imaging, particularly when accurate color reproduction is important, customers who operate image processing apparatus desire to optimize processing variables to obtain the best image quality and to reduce waste. To achieve this result, image processing apparatus typically includes a front-end computer that can adjust operational variables during printing.
The consumables used in imaging systems of this type are manufactured to high quality standards, with sensitometry, formulations, and other variables maintained to within tight tolerances. Included in the tolerance considerations are margins for worst-case conditions that might affect performance of the consumables. For example, the manufacturer of the consumable often does not know beforehand the specific type of imaging apparatus by manufacturer and model into which a consumable will be loaded. Similarly, the manufacturer must allow for numerous possible consumable batch interactions. For example, in the case of a photoprocessing minilab, a specific batch of photosensitive paper manufactured today could be processed using a specific batch of chemicals manufactured several months previously. Batch-to-batch variations with color film, photosensitive color paper, and chemicals are known to exist and different batches can interact in different ways, thereby affecting image quality.
Today, manufacturers are constrained to tight tolerances and higher costs due, in part, to such worst-case conditions. At the same time, however, a significant amount of testing and data-gathering is routinely performed on each manufactured batch of consumable. This type of detailed information about each batch, if it were available to customers who own and operate imaging equipment, could be used to meet the customers desire to optimize performance of the image processing apparatus using these consumables.
Today, conventional process control strategies employ feedback data obtained largely from control strips or test prints generated by the image processing apparatus. Measurements from control strips or test prints show the results of the completed imaging process, allowing response adjustments that are a reaction to process variation. However, such reactive methods for process control do not provide effective ways to take advantage of data obtained from testing during consumables manufacture. Instead, conventional methods only use data obtained after processing. It would be advantageous to be able to use data obtained during consumables manufacture in order to predict process results prior to processing. Methods for obtaining up-to-date information on consumables loaded in an apparatus would help to provide an improved measure of control of the operation of a photoprocessing or printing apparatus. However, there is no practical method for providing this type of data regarding consumables supplied to customers who operate photoprocessing or printing apparatus, which data would allow such apparatus to predict and compensate for batch-to-batch interactions.
In particular, the owner of a minilab or other photoprocessing apparatus pays close attention to image quality and is encouraged to follow a set of recommended practices for cleanliness, storage, and stock rotation for consumables. Notably, because of economic and environmental concerns, it is advantageous for manufacturers of minilabs to provide a high degree of control over the processing operation, including providing as much information as is necessary about process variables in order to economically obtain best quality with minimum waste. To facilitate this tight control, many minilabs include front-end computers that act as control processors and provide various sensing and reporting capabilities for the minilab operator. Among example systems that provide this capability are the “Noritsu QSS-2xxx” series minilabs manufactured by Noritsu Koki Company, Ltd., located in Wakayama, Japan.
It would be advantageous for the control program that runs in the front-end computer of an image processing apparatus to be able to access information about its loaded consumables. Data such as batch number, date of manufacture, emulsion type (for photosensitive paper), sensitometric information, color transforms, and other application-specific information could be used to facilitate handling and processing of each consumable paper or chemical.
Detailed, batch-specific information about the consumable could be stored with the consumable itself. Results of sensitometric or formulation testing, for example, could be provided with a consumable in a number of ways. Providing printed information on the consumable package or container itself is one option; however, this would constrain the consumables manufacturer to very tight schedules for batch testing and is not easily usable by an operator. Bar-code labeling is another option, but this requires either careful operator procedure (scanning each consumable prior to loading) or multiple readers disposed within the apparatus, one for each consumable package. Bar-codes can store only a limited amount of information. Embedded trace patterns, as disclosed in International Publication Number WO 98/52762 by Purcell, et al., could be used to identify a consumable type. However, this type of data encoding is fairly inflexible with respect to data storage and provides very little information. Another alternative is storage of test and manufacturing information on a memory IC that is integrally attached to the consumable. Integration of a memory with the consumable enables storage of a significant amount of detailed data for the consumable and allows added advantages such as tracking of consumables usage. Each of these solutions offers the capability to store some information about a consumable. However, none of these solutions allow changes to information in instances where new data becomes available after the consumable is manufactured and shipped to the customer. Some of the detailed information may need to be changed or altered for effective use of the consumable. In addition, a manufacturer may even wish to recall a specific batch of consumable.
Imaging apparatus for high-quality imaging are often connected to a network, possibly through an intermediate computer acting as a network server. This connection allows digital image data files to be transferred from other networked computers. Network connection can be made to one or more local (nearby) computers or even to a wide-area network that is accessible to computers in distant parts of the world. Network connection has been widely used for remote diagnostics and to help maintain computer-based devices, including, for example, pri
Sanger Kurt M.
Spurr Robert W.
Tredwell Timothy J.
Caputo Lisa M
Eastman Kodak Company
Frech Karl D.
Rushefsky Norman
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