Image Orientation Detection for Overprinting Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Incorrect overprinting occurs when the orientation or face of a sheet is not set correctly in overprinting for printing a second image on a sheet with a first image, leading to improper superimposition of the second image on the first image.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus with a processor that reads a first image, detects symbols indicating its orientation, and performs a correction process to match the orientation of the first image with the second image, ensuring correct alignment and orientation before performing overprinting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If overprinting is performed without orientation detection and correction, then the printing process is simple and fast, but the second image may be superimposed incorrectly on the first image due to orientation or face mismatch

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the first image's orientation and face before the overprinting process, and pre-calculates the necessary correction transformations. This preliminary action ensures that when overprinting occurs, the second image is already correctly oriented and positioned, eliminating alignment errors without adding complexity to the actual printing operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system reads the first image from the sheet, detects its orientation and face, and uses this feedback information to automatically adjust and correct the orientation of the second image before overprinting. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures precise alignment while maintaining operational simplicity, as the system self-corrects based on detected conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If orientation correction process is added to overprinting, then correct alignment is ensured, but the printing time and process complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverprinting accuracyVSAvoidprinting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual orientation adjustment with an automated image processing approach. By using computer vision to detect the first image's orientation and applying digital transformations to the second image data, the system achieves accurate alignment without mechanical intervention, minimizing additional processing time while maximizing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11334299B2Image forming apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

Publication Date: 2022.05.17 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes a memory, and a processor configured to: read a first image of a sheet in a state in which the sheet is held on a sheet holding unit, the sheet being a sheet on which an image has been formed; detect a symbol from the first image of the sheet which has been read, the symbol indicating an orientation of the first image; and, when the orientation of the first image indicated by the detected symbol is different from an orientation of a second image that is to be formed on the sheet, perform a correction process of matching the orientation of the first image with the orientation of the second image that is to be formed on the sheet, the orientation of the first image being indicated by the detected symbol.