Integrated Printer-Verifier for Barcode Quality and Ribbon Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printer-verifiers struggle with print errors in machine-readable indicia, particularly barcodes, as they are not communicatively coupled to the printer, leading to inefficiencies in print quality verification, language barriers, and reduced printing throughput and ribbon life.
Innovation Solution
A printer-verifier system that includes an imaging module, memory, and processor to capture images of printed indicia, evaluate print quality, and provide location-specific feedback or command signals for rejection or destruction, ensuring compliance with print standards and language recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional verifier brands rejected printed media with 'void' indication, then print quality verification is performed, but printing throughput speed decreases and ribbon life reduces due to retraction and second printing pass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the verifier and printer into a single integrated printer-verifier system where the verification function is built-in. This eliminates the need for separate verification equipment and allows immediate handling of rejected media without retraction to external devices, thereby maintaining verification reliability while improving throughput speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs verification immediately after printing each indicium and provides real-time feedback before the media fully exits the printer. This preliminary verification approach allows the system to prepare for rejection handling (such as activating cutting devices) without requiring a second printing pass, thus extending ribbon life and maintaining throughput
2Reliability
If conventional verifier brands rejected printed media with 'void' indication, then print quality verification is performed, but ribbon life reduces due to retraction and second printing pass
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the verification function within the printer itself, the system eliminates the retraction cycle required by external verifiers. The printer-verifier can immediately process and reject media without pulling it back through the printing mechanism a second time, thereby preventing additional ribbon consumption and extending ribbon life while maintaining verification capability
Solution Approach 2:
The printer-verifier system performs self-verification of printed indicia without requiring external verification equipment. This self-service capability allows the printer to immediately identify and reject defective media within the same printing pass, eliminating the need for retraction and second printing operations that would otherwise consume additional ribbon
3Reliability
If conventional verifier uses English 'void' indication, then rejected printed media is identified, but language barrier prevents global recognition and understanding
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the language parameter of rejection indications based on the printer's location or user configuration. Instead of using fixed English text, the printer-verifier can display rejection messages in multiple languages (such as 'ANULAR' in Portuguese, 'ANNULER' in French, or other local languages), thereby maintaining reliable rejection identification while achieving global adaptability and user understanding
4Productivity
If printer-verifier is integrated, then printing throughput speed increases and ribbon life extends, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated printer-verifier system uses a single device to perform multiple functions: printing, verification, rejection determination, and feedback provision. By consolidating these functions into one universal device rather than separate components, the system achieves improved throughput and extended ribbon life while managing complexity through functional integration rather than physical multiplication of components
Data Source
AI summary
A printer-verifier is provided for printing and verifying a printed indicium. Printer-verifier includes imaging module for capturing image of printed indicium on print media, memory communicatively coupled to imaging module and configured to store print quality verification program, and processor communicatively coupled to memory. Processor is configured by print quality verification program to evaluate print quality of printed indicium, determine if print quality meets print quality standard, reject printed indicium on print media as rejected printed media when print quality does not meet print quality standard, and one of output location-specific feedback about rejected printed media or send a command signal to cutting device to destroy rejected printed media. Location-specific feedback is in same language as language associated with printer-verifier. A printer and methods for verifying the printed indicium are also provided.