Print Sheet Identification via Pixel Sampling and XOR Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current print production systems require human intervention and costly manual processes for page routing and tracking, and existing automated techniques are unsuitable for high-speed environments due to complexity and the need for full resolution data, as well as being limited to text documents or requiring additional ink marks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for print production sheet identification using a sampling process to generate minimal resolution representations of physical pages, allowing for fast matching without extra ink marks, and employing XOR and population instructions for efficient page matching, suitable for high-speed commercial print production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full resolution scanning and multi-pass image comparison algorithms are used, then page identification accuracy is improved, but processing speed decreases making it unsuitable for high-speed commercial print production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the page identification process into two stages: first, a quick coarse comparison using low-resolution sampled data to eliminate obvious mismatches; second, a detailed verification only for candidates that pass the initial filter. This segmentation of the comparison process enables high-speed rejection of most pages while maintaining accurate identification for potential matches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by using only a sampled subset of pixels (e.g., 10-20% sampling rate) for the initial comparison instead of processing all pixels. This partial processing provides sufficient information for rapid filtering while dramatically reducing computational load, and full-resolution processing is applied only when necessary for final verification.
2Reliability
If overt marks are added to pages for identification, then page tracking is improved, but additional cutting stages are required increasing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables pages to identify themselves through their inherent visual content without requiring any additional marks or modifications. The natural text, images, and layout elements on each page are used as the identification signature, eliminating the need for overt marks and the subsequent cutting stages to remove them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts identification information directly from the existing page content rather than adding external marks. By sampling and comparing the inherent visual features of the page, the system removes the need for the harmful overt mark addition and removal steps from the production workflow.
3Measurement precision
If region-based image-to-image comparisons are used, then matching capability is improved, but multi-pass complexity and full resolution requirements make it unsuitable for high-speed environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the comparison algorithm into a single-pass sampled pixel comparison rather than multiple passes over full-resolution images. By dividing the page into a sampled grid and comparing corresponding sample points, the system achieves efficient matching without the multi-pass complexity of traditional region-based approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the resolution parameter from full resolution to a reduced sampled resolution for the comparison process. This parameter change maintains sufficient matching capability by comparing key sample points while dramatically reducing computational complexity and enabling high-speed processing in commercial print environments.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed for print production sheet identification. The method discloses: receiving a set of calibration sheets; collecting an array of pixel samples from at least one of the calibration sheets according to a set of pixel sampling rules to generate at least one reference sample array; capturing an image of a set of physical sheets generated from the set of calibration sheets; collecting an array of pixel samples from at least one of the imaged physical sheets according to the set of pixel sampling rules to generate at least one post-processing sample array; and comparing the post-processing sample array to the reference sample array to determine if the two arrays have less than or equal to a predetermined number of differences. The system discloses: a sampling module, operated by a processor, a scanner, and a comparison module, operated by a processor.