Printed Material Processing Device On-Site Validity Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the validity of high-value printed materials, such as tickets, face challenges in accurately distinguishing defective from valid items, leading to potential unauthorized distribution and increased costs due to unnecessary invalidation of non-defective materials, and require a communication link to a verification server for authenticity assessment.
Innovation Solution
A printed material processing device and method that compares read image information with suitable image information to extract feature information, prints a mark and code near the feature information, including positional and extraction method details, allowing on-site validity determination without a verification server, using techniques like closed-region or edge extraction to assess defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mark indicating defect is printed or the printed material is blacked out to prevent unauthorized distribution, then the reliability of preventing defective material distribution is improved, but the manufacturing precision and appearance quality deteriorate due to smudging adjacent materials and additional material consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential feature information (minimal distinguishing characteristics) from the printed material image and embeds it as code information. This allows validity determination without physically marking or blacking out the entire printed material, thus preventing unauthorized distribution while maintaining appearance quality and avoiding smudging of adjacent materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of feature information and embedding of code information during the printing process itself. This preliminary action enables subsequent validity determination without requiring additional marking or blacking out operations, thereby preventing unauthorized distribution while preserving the original appearance quality of the printed material.
2Reliability
If the entire surface is blacked out to prohibit reuse of defective printed material, then the reliability of preventing reuse is improved, but the loss of substance increases due to additional ink or toner consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential feature information (minimal distinguishing characteristics) from the printed material image and embeds it as code information. This allows validity determination and prohibition of reuse without physically blacking out the entire printed material, thereby preventing unauthorized reuse while minimizing additional ink or toner consumption to only what is needed for the code information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of feature information and embedding of code information during the printing process itself. This preliminary action enables subsequent validity determination and prohibition of reuse without requiring additional blacking out operations, thereby preventing unauthorized reuse while minimizing additional material consumption.
3Reliability
If image information about marks is stored in a server for authenticity assessment, then the reliability of authenticity determination is improved, but the device complexity and dependency on communication infrastructure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts essential feature information from the printed material image and embeds it directly on the printed material as code information. This eliminates the need for a centralized server to store and compare image information, thereby maintaining authenticity determination reliability while significantly reducing system complexity and removing dependency on communication infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed material contains its own authentication data (code information extracted from its own image features). The validity determination device can independently verify authenticity by comparing the embedded code information with newly extracted feature information, without needing to contact external servers. This self-contained approach maintains reliability while reducing system complexity and eliminating communication infrastructure dependency.
4Reliability
If strict examination is performed to detect even tiny defects, then the reliability of defect detection is improved, but the productivity decreases due to large number of invalid materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels to different parts of the printed material by extracting and embedding code information based on locally significant feature portions. This allows reliable defect detection of critical areas while tolerating minor defects in less critical areas, thereby maintaining defect detection accuracy while reducing the number of materials incorrectly classified as invalid and improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A printed material processing device includes: a feature information extracting unit configured to compare read printed-material image information obtained by reading a printed material, and extract a portion equivalent to a difference between the two sets of information as feature information; an image generating unit configured to generate an image of a mark to be additionally printed near a location of the feature information, set first information indicating a positional relationship between the mark and the feature information, set second information indicating a method of extracting the feature information and a feature quantity to be extracted from the feature information, and generate an image of code information to be additionally printed in a position on the printed material, the code information including the first information and the second information; and an image forming unit configured to additionally print the mark and the code information.