Image analysis – Applications – Document or print quality inspection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2003-04-01
Patel, Jayanti K. (Department: 2721)
Image analysis
Applications
Document or print quality inspection
C235S468000, C250S271000, C283S072000, C356S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06542622
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to methods and articles for determining print quality of an invisible ink encodement recorded by a printer on media, particularly a test print recorded in invisible ink or dye by a printer, to enable a user to determine if the ink or dye is depleted or the printer is operating improperly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to imprint data on various articles and objects, including printed media, labels, containers, vehicles, etc., in the form of a machine readable, code or “symbology” that is visible to the eye but requires a reader to read and decode. The terms “symbology” or “symbologies” are generally employed to denote spatial patterns of symbology elements or marks, wherein each mark has a shape and separated from an adjacent mark by a spacing between the marks, whereby information is encoded in the shapes and/or the spacings between the marks, and embrace bar codes and other codes as described further below. Typically the decoded information output by the reader is used by a machine in a process of identification of the article and to associate it with other data, e.g. unit price and restocking code, which may be displayed and printed out. A great many symbologies and specialized symbology readers have been adopted over the years.
It is also known to encode aural information as such machine readable bar codes associated with images on media so that the aural information or sound can be reproduced from the encoded symbology. Such systems are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,276,472 and 5,313,235 in relation to photographic prints, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,059,126 and 5,314,336 in relation to other objects or printed images.
Furthermore, it is well known to record or print symbologies or human recognizable images on various media, e.g., documents, identity cards, financial instruments, professional photographic prints, etc., to verify identity or inhibit unauthorized use or copying, and on stamps and envelopes in postal cancellation applications. Such printing is typically done with one or more invisible ink or dye imprinted on the surface of the document or incorporated into internal layers of the media. These symbologies or recognizable images are normally invisible but can be made visible to and read by a scanner or reader when illuminated by a specific light wavelength or band, e.g. infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. Such symbologies or images are intended to be permanently recorded or printed onto or incorporated within the media and to be tamper resistant.
The above-referenced, commonly assigned and pending patent applications disclose encoding “variable data” in conformance with a known symbology and printing it as an invisible “encodement” located in an image field on media on a photographic print image or a print that is produced by other means. One disclosed use of such invisible encodements constitutes printing the invisible encodements over or with a visual print image at the time that prints are made from filmstrip image frames. Typically, such prints would be made for consumers (hereafter referred to as users) from such filmstrips by photofinishers. In this context, the term “variable data” includes data that varies from print to print and contains information typically related to the visible print image. The “encodement” is preferably encoded and printed using a two-dimensional symbology that is relatively dense and is at least co-extensive in area with the visible photographic image to maximize the amount of sound information that can be recorded.
The encodement is invisible or substantially invisible to the human eye when viewed under normal viewing conditions, that is, facing the viewer and under sunlight or normal room illumination such as incandescent lighting. This ensures that the encodement does not materially degrade the visible print image. A number of encodement materials and encodement printing techniques are disclosed in the above-referenced commonly assigned and pending patent applications. It is contemplated that the preferred encodement materials would be infrared absorbing inks or dyes imprinted onto the visible print image using thermal dye transfer printing or inkjet or laser printing techniques or the like.
But, it is also contemplated that the user may alternatively generate variable data and print such invisible encodements over a visible print image using computer based printer systems of the types disclosed in the above-incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/931,575, and 09/356,956. In this context, users may also generate the variable data and visible image data from a variety of sources and print them on print media.
For example, digital cameras are available for use by such users that capture digital image data when used and also have the capability of recording user input sound information and camera input exposure information at the time the image is captured by the user. Software implemented typically in a personal computer is employed to process the digital image data and display the images on a monitor for editing and to make permanent prints of such digitally captured images employing inkjet or laser color printers or thermal dye transfer printers.
The user that receives such a print with the invisible encodement made by a photofinisher or that prints an encodement onto visible print image would employ a playback unit to capture the encodement and reproduce or play back the sound or display the visual information or otherwise use the variable data of the encodement. The above-incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/931,575, and 09/356,956 also disclose systems for reading encodements of this type. During reading, the invisible encodement image is illuminated with light having a wavelength that causes the invisible dye to absorb or reflect the light or to fluoresce in contrast to the background of the media. The illuminated encodement image is captured by a planar imager, e.g. a CCD or CMOS array imager of a hand held reader or a stationary reader or scanner. The variable data of the captured encodement image is decoded and played back as sound through various sound reproduction systems or displayed in visible form to be read by the user.
The user that records an invisible encodement using such a user operated printer has no way of knowing whether the ink or dye is being printed on the print media because it is invisible to the eye. The invisible encodement may be entirely missing or so badly or faintly printed that it cannot be accurately read. The invisible ink or laser toner or thermal dye transfer media may become exhausted or the cartridge or printing head may otherwise become defective and smear or erratically print symbology elements of the encodemnent. After the invisible encodement is printed, it is possible to employ the scanner or reader to determine if the encodement can be read. But, even if the encodement can be read, there is no simple or inexpensive way to determine if the print quality of the encodement is high enough to avoid deterioration over time due to ink or dye fading or to allow a certain amount of handling of the print, for example, and still allow successful reading of the encodement. If the encodement print quality is so poor that errors are detected when it is read, it is difficult to remove the encodement or to reprint the encodement using a new ink cartridge or dye transfer media over the existing encodement due to possible misalignment of the print media during such reprinting.
There is a need for inexpensive and simple methods and articles that enable the user to determine the invisible ink print quality that the printer is capable of providing before or following printing of a desired invisible encodement on the print media.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is defined by the claims. The invention, in its broader aspects, provides: (1) a test target having a plurality of invisible encodements each comprising test data printed over a test print media in a defined spatial order by the printer under test, w
Bryant Robert C.
Nelson David J.
Williams Kevin W.
Eastman Kodak Company
Patel Jayanti K.
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