Apparatus and method for checking printed matter

Abstract: Sheets with images are scanned to determine if the images are acceptable. Sheets with unacceptable images are marked with a reject mark. The images may define banknotes, securities, traveler checks, stamps, and so on.

Description: This invention pertains to an apparatus for checking printed matter, and more particularly for checking continuous or discrete sheets with multiple images, such as banknotes, stamps, securities and so on. Certain printed matter or documents such as banknotes, stamps, securities, travelers checks and so forth require complicated printing procedures to prevent unauthorized duplication, copying or counterfeiting. Inherently, this material must be printed accurately, since mistakes are taken as an indication that the material is not genuine. Of course complicated printing processes increase the chances of producing printed matter which has mistakes. Thus after completion, these documents must be checked carefully, and the documents with mistakes must be rejected. To the knowledge of the applicants, to date this checking is performed manually, on a one to one basis. The applicants are unaware of any automated systems capable of checking printed matter on line and of rejecting the unaccepted documents The EP-A-0 485,694 discloses a printed document checker for checks, bonds etc. The apparatus contains a scanner and a data processing means in the form of a comparison unit which compares the data from the scanner with stored models. In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically checking and rejecting printed matter. A further objective is to provide a apparatus which can perform document checking continuously on line without the need for human intervention. Yet a further objective is to provide a flexible system which can perform its function at high speed. Other objectives and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from the following description. A printed matter checking apparatus in accordance with this invention is defined in claim 1. The printed matter to be checked consists of images which are printed normally in two dimensional arrays on sheets. These sheets are sequentially fed to the subject apparatus, where they are scanned and if necessary to a reject station for rejection. Preferably, the reject station is adapted to receive specific identifying data from the microprocessor which identifies a specific document on the sheet to be rejected. The identified document is rejected for example by printing thereon a specific word or a message. A printing and checking apparatus in accordance with the invention is defined in claim 6 and a method of checking in accordance with the invention is defined in claim 10. Figure 1 shows a somewhat schematic diagram of a printed matter checking apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 shows a somewhat schematic cross-sectional view of the reject station of the apparatus of Figure 2; and Figure 3 shows a plan view of a sheet with a plurality of documents printed thereon. Referring now to the drawings, a plurality of images are printed on a sheet 10 by a printing press. For the sake of simplicity the printing press is illustrated by a pair of rollers 12, 14. These images 16, are normally identical, and are arranged in rows and columns defining a two dimensional array. Figure 3 shows a plan view of the sheet, it being understood that a different set of images having the same size are printed on the bottom surface 24 of sheet 10 in perfect registration with the images 16 to thereby define a plurality of documents, each document bearing one image on top and another on the bottom. The printed matter checking apparatus may disposed in line with the rollers 12,14. Alternatively, a stack of sheets 10 may be collected after printing and checked for accuracy at a later time. In the embodiment of Figure 1, after printing, sheet 10 is forwarded to the printed matter checking apparatus including a scanner station with a set of scanners 18, 20. Scanner 18 scans the top surface 22 of sheet 10 and generates first digital data signals on line 26 representatives of the images 16 on this surface. Scanner 20 scans the bottom surface 24 of sheet 10 and generates a second set of data signals on line 28 representatives of the images on surface 24. Alternatively, sheet 10 may be reversed and run a second time across the scanner 18 to generate the second digital data signals. The digital data on the two lines 26 and 28 are fed to a controller 30. This controller includes a microprocessor which performs high-speed digital analysis on the signals form these lines, and using certain preselected criteria determines if all the images on sheet 10 are acceptable. If these images acceptable, sheet 10 is forwarded without any further manipulation through a reject device 32. If any one of the images does not meet the preset criteria, the sheet 10 is forwarded for further manipulation by reject station 32. As shown in more detail in Figure 2, reject station 32 includes a plurality of individual marking devices 34. Preferably, these marking devices are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the movement of sheet 10. The number of marking devices 34 is equal to the number of images 16 on sheet 10. Each mark device may consist of an impact printer, an ink jet printer or any other device suitable for making a preselected reject mark on single image to identify it as a being rejected. The reject mark may be any mark easily visible and clearly identifiable. For example, the reject mark could be a big blob, an oversized X, a bar, the word VOID, and so on. The controller 30 also includes several other devices which control the movement of the sheets 10 consecutively to and through the scanning station and to and through the reject station. It should be understood that the controller 30 may include a single microprocessor device, or several microprocessor devices, each device being dedicated for a particular function, i.e. checking banknotes, moving the sheets 10, and so on. The controller 30 checks the images on sheet 10 on an individual basis. If a sheet has an image, such as 16' determined by the microprocessor to be unacceptable, the controller 30 provides information to the reject station which identifies the actual image to be rejected. For example if 16' in Figure 3 is found to be bad, as the controller 30 forwards the sheet 10 with the unacceptable image through the reject station. The controller 30 also causes the reject station to print the preselected reject mark on image 16' by activating printer 34' at the appropriate time, i.e. when the portion of sheet 10 is disposed directly below marking device 34'. Station 32 is provided with a set of printer devices 34 arranged in an array identical to the array of images 16 shown in Figure 3. In this instance when sheet 10 is aligned with the printer arrays, the specific printer 34' corresponding to the unacceptable image is activated thereby marking the unacceptable image with a reject mark. Of course a sheet 10 may have more than one unacceptable images arranged in a row in a column, or distributed in a random pattern on the sheet. The microprocessor identifies each of the unacceptable images and orders the reject station to mark each of the images on the sheet accordingly. Preferably the reject station is constructed to apply the reject mark only on the top surface 22 of sheet 10 even if an unacceptable image is found on the bottom surface because the object is to mark and identify bad documents, and it is not important to mark the actual bad image. Alternatively, the reject station can be provided with two sets of marking devices, one for the top surface and one on the bottom. After the reject station the sheet 10 is either stacked for delivery or is slit into individual documents and then stacked. Obviously numerous modifications may be made to this invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: Printed matter checking apparatus comprising a scanning station (18,20) for receiving sequentially a plurality of sheets (10) having printed images (16) arranged in a two-dimensional array, said scanning station (18,20) generating data (26,28) descriptive of said images and data processing means (30) receiving said data for analyzing said data to determine whether said images meet preselected criteria, wherein each sheet (10) has a plurality of documents each document being defined by an image (16) either on one surface or on both surfaces (22,24) of the sheet (10), and wherein the apparatus comprises a marking station (32) coupled to said data processing means (30) for receiving sheets sequentially (10) from said scanning station (18,20), characterised in that said marking station (32) comprises a set of printer devices (34) arranged in an array identical to said array of images (16) for marking with a reject mark any documents defined by at least one image (16') which said data processing means (30) has determined does not meet said criteria. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said sheet (10) has a top surface (22) with top images (16) and a bottom surface (24) with bottom images (16), each top image being registered with a bottom image to define one document. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said marking station (32) marks said top image. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said printing heads (34) consists of an impact printer. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said printing heads (34) consists of an ink jet printer. A printing and checking apparatus comprising a printing device (12,14) for printing a plurality of documents on a sheet (10), each document being defined by an image (16) either on one surface or both surfaces (22,24) of the sheet (10), said images (16) being arranged in a two-dimensional array, scanning means (18,20) for receiving said sheet (10) from said printing device (12,14) and for generating data (26,28) descriptive of said images (16), data processing means (30) for receiving said data and comparing said data to a preselected criteria to determine if each of said images is acceptable and marking means (32,34) for receiving said sheet (10), characterised in that said marking means (32,34) comprise a set of printer devices (34) arranged in an array identical to said array of images (16) for marking with a reject mark any documents defined by at least one image (16') which said data processing means (30) has determined does not meet said criteria. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said sheet (10) has a top (22) and a bottom surface (24) and said printing device prints top (12,14) and bottom images (16) on said top and bottom surfaces respectively. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said scanning means includes a top (18) and bottom scanner (20) for scanning said top (22) and bottom (24) surfaces respectively. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each said top image (16) is in register with each said bottom image (16) to define a document, and wherein said marking means (34) marks said top image (16) of said document when one of said top and bottom images (16') of said document are unacceptable. A method of checking images (16) on sheets comprising the steps of scanning said sheets (10) sequentially to generate data descriptive of said images (16), comparing data for each image (16) to preselected criteria to determine if the image meet the preselected criteria, wherein the sheet comprises a plurality of documents each of which is defined by an image (16) either on one surface or both surfaces of the sheet (10), the images of the documents being arranged in a two-dimensional array and wherein the method includes the step of marking with a reject mark any documents defined by at least one image (16') which have been determined do not meet preselected criteria characterised in that the step of marking is carried out with printer devices arranged in an array identical to said array of images. The method of claim 10 wherein each document is defined by a top and bottom image (16) disposed on a top (22) and bottom (24) surface of said sheet (10), and wherein said top image of a document is marked with said reject mark if one of said top and bottom images of said document is unacceptable. The method of claim 10 wherein said sheet (10) has a top and bottom surface with top and bottom images, said top and bottom images being scanned during said scanning step.

Inventors: EISENBARTH CHRISTOPH, FINKELSTEIN IRA, JUNG HARRY, MC GHIE DENNIS, PANOFSKY EDWARD, EISENBARTH, CHRISTOPH, JUNG, HARRY, MC GHIE, DENNIS, PANOFSKY, EDWARD
Applicants: KBA GIORI SA, KBA-GIORI S.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G07D7
IPC codes: B41J29, B41J25, G07D7, G06K9, B65H43