Frame-by-Frame Print Job Aggregation for Uniform Web Spacing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wide web printing, aggregating print jobs with different pattern lengths leads to uneven spacing and waste of print medium due to varying gaps at the end of each frame.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where print jobs are aggregated in longitudinal lanes with a fixed frame rewind distance and frame repeat length, ensuring patterns are evenly spaced by calculating gap lengths based on the longest pattern length and frame dimensions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If print jobs with different pattern lengths are aggregated on a web of print medium, then the web can be filled more completely, but uneven spacing and gaps occur at the end of each frame

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweb utilizationVSAvoidspacing uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The web of print medium is divided into multiple frames of fixed length, with each frame containing multiple patterns from different print jobs. By segmenting the continuous web into discrete frames and calculating gap lengths for each frame based on the longest pattern, the system achieves both high web utilization and uniform spacing across all frames.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If patterns are imposed in multiple longitudinal lanes on a wide web, then more print jobs can be printed simultaneously, but patterns of different lengths create varying gaps at frame ends

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting capacityVSAvoidgap consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Each longitudinal lane is treated independently with its own gap length calculation based on the longest pattern in that lane. This local quality approach allows different lanes to have different gap lengths tailored to their specific pattern requirements, while maintaining uniform spacing within each lane and enabling simultaneous printing of multiple print jobs across different lanes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If a fixed frame length is used for printing, then the printing process is simplified, but patterns may not fill the entire frame leaving wasted space

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting process simplicityVSAvoidprint medium waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Before printing each frame, the system calculates the required gap length based on the longest pattern that will be imposed in that frame. This preliminary calculation ensures that patterns are positioned to maximize space utilization within the fixed frame length, eliminating wasted space at the end of each frame while maintaining the simplicity of fixed-frame printing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12307141B2Imposing print jobs across a print medium for frame-by-frame printing

Publication Date: 2025.05.20 HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LP

AI summary

Examples are described herein for imposing print jobs across lane(s) of a print medium web for frame-by-frame printing. A frame rewind distance (FRD) may be set to a length of a longest pattern of the print jobs and a frame repeat length (FRL) may be set to a difference between a frame length and the FRD. For each lane of a first frame of the frame-by-frame printing: patterns of one of the print jobs may be imposed along a length of the lane, and a distance that a tail end of the one of the patterns extends beyond the FRL may be preserved as a respective gap length for the lane in a second frame. For each lane of the second frame of the frame-by-frame printing, patterns of one of the print jobs may be imposed beginning at the respective preserved gap length.