FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to printers, and more particularly, to methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing print quality feedback in response to verifying the print quality of printers and controlling the print quality of machine-readable indicia, including printed barcodes and printed OCR-B characters.

BACKGROUND

Applicant has identified many deficiencies and problems associated with existing printers. For example, a print error (or a “print quality problem”) may be introduced into the machine-readable indicia for many reasons. Print quality problems are particularly acute in the case of barcode printing, as the barcode encodes data in the width of the bar and space elements.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing print quality feedback and controlling print quality of machine-readable indicia.

In accordance with various embodiments, a printer-verifier system for providing print quality feedback and controlling print quality is provided. The printer-verifier system comprising: a printing mechanism configured to print a machine-readable indicia on a print media; a verifier device in electronic communication with the printing mechanism, the verifier device being configured to scan the machine-readable indicia on the print media; a print quality monitoring device in electronic communication with the printing mechanism and the verifier device, the print quality monitoring device being configured to: analyze the print quality of the machine-readable indicia on the print media; determine that the print quality of the machine-readable indicia does not meet predetermined quality standards; and in response to determining that the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards, instruct the printing mechanism to print diagnostic information on the print media.

In some embodiments, the diagnostic information comprises at least one of gray levels, ANSI grade levels, numeric ANSI grades, and bar width growth amounts.

In some embodiments, the print quality monitoring device is configured to utilize the diagnostic information to detect errors in the print quality.

In some embodiments, the diagnostic information comprises instructions defining an appropriate course of at least one corrective action, and the at least one corrective action comprises at least one of changing pressure that a printhead of the printing mechanism applies to the print media, changing a temperature of the printhead, cleaning the printhead, repairing the printhead, replacing the printhead, realigning the print media within the printing mechanism, and realigning a printer ribbon within the printing mechanism.

In some embodiments, the print media comprises at least one label, and the machine-readable indicia comprises at least one barcode.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards, the print quality monitoring device is further configured to instruct the printing mechanism to print the diagnostic information over the machine-readable indicia on the print media.

In some embodiments, when analyzing the print quality of the machine-readable indicia on the print media, the print quality monitoring device is further configured to: identify a print quality problem associated with the machine-readable indicia; retrieve association data that associates each of a plurality of print quality problems with a plurality of prescribed corrective actions; and determine a prescribed corrective action from the plurality of prescribed corrective actions based on the association data.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards, the print quality monitoring device is further configured to instruct the printing mechanism to print the prescribed corrective action on the print media.

In some embodiments, the machine-readable indicia comprises a printed barcode, and analyzing the print quality of the machine-readable indicia further comprises comparing one or more barcode quality parameters of the printed barcode and a barcode print quality standard.

In some embodiments, the one or more barcode quality parameters comprise a modulation parameter, and identifying the print quality problem further comprises identifying a modulation problem in the printed barcode in at least one of a picket fence orientation and a ladder orientation. In some embodiments, determining that the print quality of the machine-readable indicia does not meet the predetermined quality standards further comprises determining a modulation grade of the printed barcode fails to meet an acceptable modulation grade according to a printing application requirement.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method for providing print quality feedback and controlling print quality is provided. The method comprises: printing, by a printer-verifier apparatus, a machine-readable indicia on a print media; scanning, by the printer-verifier apparatus, the machine-readable indicia on the print media; analyzing, by the printer-verifier apparatus, the print quality of the machine-readable indicia on the print media; determining, by the printer-verifier apparatus, that the print quality of the machine-readable indicia does not meet predetermined quality standards; and in response to determining that the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards, printing, by the printer-verifier apparatus, diagnostic information on the print media.

In accordance with various embodiments, a printer verification device comprises a sensing device configured to optically sense an image printed onto print media within a printer. The printer verification device further comprises a quality analyzing device configured to analyze the print quality of the image printed onto the print media. A printer control device is configured to instruct a printing mechanism to print diagnostic information onto the print media when the quality analyzing device determines that the print quality does not meet predetermined quality standards.

In accordance with various embodiments, a printer is provided. The printer in this embodiment includes a printing mechanism configured to print images onto print media and a print verification device configured to monitor the print quality of the images printed onto the print media. The print verification device is configured to analyze the print quality to determine if the print quality meets predetermined quality standards. When the print verification device determines that the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards, the print verification device instructs the printing mechanism to print diagnostic information onto the print media.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method associated with a printer is provided. The method includes a first step of analyzing the print quality of a barcode printed by a printing mechanism onto a label. Another step includes determining if the print quality meets predetermined quality standards. The method also includes instructing the printing mechanism to print diagnostic information onto the label if the print quality does not meet the predetermined quality standards.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method is provided for controlling a print quality of a machine-readable indicium from a printer. An image of the machine-readable indicium is captured. The print quality of the machine-readable indicium from the captured image is evaluated. A print quality problem as a result of the evaluating step is identified. A prescribed corrective action to resolve the print quality problem is determined by retrieving association data that associates different print quality problems with a respective prescribed corrective action. The prescribed corrective action is caused to be implemented such that a next machine-readable indicium does not have the print quality problem. Data is generated from controlling the print quality of the machine-readable indicium. The association data is updated with the data and/or the data is collected and stored for use in printing process control.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises repeating the capturing and evaluating steps for each machine-readable indicium. In some embodiments, the method further comprises generating at least one diagnostics report.

In some embodiments, causing implementation of the prescribed corrective action comprises adjustment of a printhead temperature and a speed of the printer when the modulation problem of the printed barcode is in both the picket fence orientation and the ladder orientation; implementing an adjustment in printhead temperature when the modulation problem of the printed barcode is in the picket fence orientation only; and implementing an adjustment in print speed when the modulation problem is in the ladder orientation only.

In some embodiments, one of the barcode quality parameters comprises a defects parameter. Identifying the print quality problem comprises identifying defects in the printed barcode, and causing implementation of the prescribed corrective action comprises communication to a user of the printer to change print media for a next printed barcode.

In some embodiments, the machine-readable indicium comprises a printed OCR-B character and evaluating the print quality comprises: applying a binarization algorithm to the printed OCR-B character and comparing the printed OCR-B character after application of the binarization algorithm to a print quality standard.

In some embodiments, identifying a print quality problem comprises identifying the print quality problem in the printed OCR-B character by non-conformity of the printed OCR-B character with a Stroke Width Template described in ISO/IEC standard 30116.

In some embodiments, causing implementation of the prescribed corrective action comprises implementing an adjustment in at least one of print speed and printhead temperature if the printed OCR-B character does not conform with the Stroke Width Template by exceeding or being short of an outer character boundary of the Stroke Width Template and by communication to a user of the printer to change print media for next printed OCR-B character if the printed OCR-B character does not conform with the Stroke Width Template by having defects therein.

In some embodiments, the captured machine-readable indicium comprises a first captured image. The method further comprises: capturing the image of the next machine-readable indicium from same printer to obtain a second captured image; evaluating the print quality of the next machine-readable indicium from the second captured image; and verifying, after the prescribed corrective action has been implemented, that the next machine-readable indicium does not have the print quality problem, thereby determining that the prescribed corrective action resolved the print quality problem.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method is provided for controlling print quality of a printed barcode from a printer, according to various embodiments of the present invention. An image of the printed barcode from a printer is captured to obtain a captured image. The printed barcode is formatted in a picket fence orientation and in a ladder orientation. A print quality of the printed barcode is evaluated. A modulation problem in both the picket fence orientation and the ladder orientation of the printed barcode is identified as a result of the evaluating step. A prescribed corrective action is determined for improving a modulation grade of the printed barcode. Adjustment of the printer is caused to implement the prescribed corrective action to improve the modulation grade of a next printed barcode.

In some embodiments, causing adjustment of the printer to implement the prescribed corrective action comprises adjusting a printhead temperature for the next printed barcode in the picket fence orientation and adjusting a print speed of the printer for the next printed barcode in the ladder orientation.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method is provided for controlling print quality of a printed barcode from a printer, according to various embodiments of the present invention. An image of the printed barcode from a printer is captured (a captured image). A print quality of the printed barcode from the captured image is evaluated. A defect in the printed barcode is identified as a result of the evaluating step. A prescribed corrective action for decreasing defects in a next printed barcode is determined. The prescribed corrective action is communicated to a user of the printer.

In some embodiments, the printed barcode comprises one of: on same print media, a first one-dimensional printed barcode in the picket fence orientation and a second one-dimensional printed barcode in the ladder orientation, the modulation problem identified in both the first one-dimensional printed barcode and the second one-dimensional printed barcode; or a two-dimensional barcode.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method is provided for controlling print quality of a printed OCR-B character from a printer, according to various embodiments of the present invention. An image of the printed OCR-B character from a printer is captured to obtain a captured image. A print quality of the printed OCR-B character is evaluated by applying a binarization algorithm to the printed OCR-B character and comparing the printed OCR-B character after the binarization algorithm has been applied to a print quality standard. A print quality problem in the printed OCR-B character is identified as a result of the evaluating step. A prescribed corrective action is determined for improving a grade of the printed OCR-B character. Adjustment of the printer is implemented based on the prescribed corrective action to improve the grade of a next printed OCR-B character.

In some embodiments, evaluating the print quality comprises analyzing one or more barcode quality parameters of the printed barcode from the captured image and comparing the results against a barcode print quality standard, wherein one of the barcode quality parameters comprises a defects parameter; identifying the defect in the printed barcode comprises identifying that defects grade of the printed barcode fails to meet an acceptable defects grade according to a printing application requirement; and determining the prescribed corrective action comprises retrieving association data that specifically associates a failure to meet the acceptable defects grade with the prescribed corrective action.

In some embodiments, communicating the prescribed corrective action to the user of the printer comprises communicating that the prescribed corrective action comprises at least one of changing print media and cleaning a printhead.

The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplary objectives and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, are further explained in the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.

