Pattern Inspection Apparatus Density Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ink-jet printers face challenges in accurately determining the transport amount due to abnormalities in reference and adjusting patterns, such as incomplete printing or ink discharge fluctuations, which affect the density readings of error detecting print patterns, leading to incorrect transport settings.

Innovation Solution

A pattern inspection apparatus and method that reads both overlapped and single pattern portions to acquire and correct density information, excluding the influence of abnormalities by using the density data from single pattern portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If density reading is performed on overlapped pattern portions to determine transport amount, then transport amount determination is simplified, but measurement precision deteriorates due to abnormalities in reference or adjusting patterns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransport amount determinationVSAvoiddensity reading accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pattern portions are segmented into overlapped pattern portions and single pattern portions. The reading results are separately acquired for each type, and the single pattern portion readings are used to correct the overlapped pattern portion readings, thereby eliminating the influence of printing abnormalities on density measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The single pattern portion serves as an intermediary reference that mediates between the printing process and the final density measurement. By using the density reading from the single pattern portion (which is not affected by overlapping issues) to correct the overlapped pattern portion reading, the system achieves accurate transport amount determination without directly relying on potentially flawed overlapped pattern data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If printing is performed repeatedly to ensure pattern quality, then manufacturing precision improves, but productivity deteriorates due to time consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepattern printing qualityVSAvoidprinting efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of repeated printing with an information processing approach. Instead of physically reprinting patterns to ensure quality, the system uses optical reading and computational correction methods to achieve accurate density measurements from a single printing operation, thereby maintaining precision while improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach allows for accurate determination of transport amounts by correcting density readings, ensuring reliable printing quality despite abnormalities in the patterns, thereby improving the precision of ink-jet printer operations.

Implementation Method 1

an optical sensor to acquire densities of the respective error detecting print patterns

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS8985733B2Pattern inspection apparatus, pattern inspection method, and printer

Publication Date: 2015.03.24 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A pattern inspection apparatus is provided, including a reading mechanism configured to read a print pattern including an overlapped pattern portion formed by overlapping a first-pattern and a second-pattern and a single pattern portion formed with only any one of the first-pattern and the second-pattern; and a controller configured to perform acquisition of density information of the print pattern based on a result of the reading and correction of density information of the overlapped pattern portion by using density information of the single pattern portion.