Patent ID: 8073195
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: G06K,G07B

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: transporting a mail piece along a transport path past a print head and an image capture device, the print head including a linear array of print elements, the array oriented transversely to a direction in which the mail piece is transported, the image capture device downstream from said print head along said transport path, the image capture device including a linear array of image capture elements, the array of image capture elements oriented parallel to the array of print elements, the image capture device positioned to capture an image of an indicium printed by the print head on the mail piece; while the mail piece is being transported past the print head, selectively operating ones of the print elements to print an image element on the mail piece; detecting a leading edge of the mail piece; and triggering the placing of the image capture elements in an image capture mode at a predetermined time interval after a point in time when the leading edge of the mail piece was detected so that the image capture elements are in the image capture mode before the image element reaches the image capture device; while the mail piece is being transported past the image capture device maintaining the image capture elements in the image capture mode; maintaining the image capture elements in the image capture mode until the image element has entirely passed the image capture device; ending the image capture mode after the image element has entirely passed the image capture device; and analyzing image signals generated by said image capture elements during said image capture mode to determine whether any of said print elements has failed.