JPH01319888A - Method for counting number of pictures of web - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent erroneous counting even when either a gap or an overlap occurs in the interval between adjacent colors by ignoring the output signal of an photoelectric sensor up to the middle of a yellow group color part and counting up a counter in a first dark color part after a yellow group color part. CONSTITUTION:A photoelectric sensor 16 is composed so as to output a detected signal when the sensor 16 detects a black (Bk) part and a cyanogen (C) part, namely, the dark color part, in a color film 12. Further, the fed quantity of the color film 12 is detected, the output of the photoelectric sensor 16 in the interval from the dark color part to the middle of the yellow group color part is ignored, and a counter 25 is counted up for '1' by detecting the first dark part after measurement up to the middle of the yellow group color part ends. Thus, the number of pictures is never erroneously counted even when either the gap or the overlap occurs in the interval between the adjacent colors.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an improvement in a method for counting the number of screens of a web on which screens of a fixed length are sequentially printed in the longitudinal direction, such as a color film which is a sublimation type recording material of a thermal transfer printer.

[Conventional technology]

Color film, which is a sublimation type recording material such as the one mentioned above, has three colors of blue, red, and yellow, or four colors (black added to these colors) fixed for each color on a polyethylene film of several micrometers. The length is sequentially dye printed. Here, some of the above-mentioned color films are printed with negative color pigment marks as positioning marks when used in thermal transfer printers. In addition, the above-mentioned color film is used in a printer by winding a printed original roll onto a small bobbin. Also in this small winding process, the color film printed with the pigment mark detects the pigment mark printed area and is thereby wound onto the small winding bobbin to a predetermined number of screens. On the other hand, there are also color films that are not printed with pigment marks as described above. In the case of such a color film, it is necessary to count the number of screens in the dye-printed areas of the four colors instead of the three colors. Conventionally, this screen number counting means uses a photoelectric sensor to count up a counter by detecting the dark color portion including black and blue-based colors, thereby counting the number of screens. The reason why both black and blue-based colors are read by the photoelectric sensor as described above is that the difference in density between black and blue-based colors is small.
This is because the photoelectric sensor described above cannot distinguish between these.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, as mentioned above, with color films that are not printed with pigment marks, for example, due to printing misregistration, each color should be continuous without any gaps or overlaps, but gaps may appear between adjacent colors. , some may cause an X-shape. For example, if a gap occurs between black and a blue color, there is a problem in that the photoelectric sensor will count one screen as two screens. Furthermore, when red-based colors and yellow-based colors overlap, they become a subtractive color mixture, and the photoelectric sensor detects this as a dark color, causing the counter to count up.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is designed to prevent miscounting of the number of screens even when a gap or overlap occurs between adjacent colors due to printing misregistration. The purpose is to provide a counting method.

[Means to solve the problem]

When the photoelectric sensor detects the dark color portion of the web that is sequentially printed in the longitudinal direction in dark colors including at least the latter of black and blue colors, red colors, and yellow colors, the counter is incremented by "1". In the method of counting the number of screens of the web, the feeding amount of the web is detected, the output of the photoelectric sensor is ignored between the dark color part and the middle of the yellowish color part, and the output of the photoelectric sensor is ignored until the middle of the yellowish color part. After completion of length measurement, the counter is incremented by 1 upon detection of the first dark color area.

[Effect]

In this invention, the output signal of the photoelectric sensor is ignored until the middle of the yellowish color part, and the counter is counted up at the first dark color part after the yellowish color part, so that the output signal is ignored between the black and blueish color parts. Miscounts will not occur even if there is a gap or color overlap between red and yellow colors.

【Example】

The method for counting the number of web screens according to the present invention will be described below with reference to an apparatus for carrying out the method. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this embodiment of the apparatus is constructed between a small bobbin 14 for winding a color film 12 unwound from a color film roll 10 and a roll 10. A photoelectric sensor 16 that can detect the dyed and printed portion of the color film 12 in black (hereinafter referred to as Bk) and cyan (hereinafter referred to as C) color at the position, and the color film 12 wound on the small winding bobbin 14. an encoder 20 that is attached to the touch roller 18 in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the touch roller 18 and detects the number of rotations of the touch roller 18;
a signal processing circuit 22 for processing the output signal of the color film 1;
2, and a screen counter 24 for counting the number of screens. The color film 12 is shown in FIG. , the Bk part, 0 part, M part, and Y part are dyed and printed in the same length in the longitudinal direction of the film in this order. The signal processing circuit 22 includes a counter 25 that counts the output signals from the encoder 20 and outputs a signal when a certain number is reached, and a signal generator that outputs an ON signal for a certain period of time from when the signal from the counter 25 is input. 26, an ON signal from this signal generator 26, and a photoelectric sensor 16.
An AND circuit 28 outputs a trigger signal when both the dark area detection signals from the AND circuit 28 are input, and a screen counter 24
and a pulse excavator 30 that outputs a pulse signal of "1". The photoelectric sensor 16 outputs a detection signal when it does not detect the Bk portion and the 0 portion of the color film 12, that is, the dark portion. Further, the encoder 20 detects the feeding amount of the color film 12 from the rotation speed of the touch roller 18. That is, the encoder 20, for example,
A signal of one pulse is output to the counter 25 for every 1 u of 2. Also, this counter 25
When you start counting from part Y and count halfway through part Y,
It outputs a signal and is reset. That is, from the starting point of the Bk portion of the color film 12 to the next Bk
When the distance to the starting point of the section is 310u, counter 2
5 is reset when counting 25011 m from zero, that is, 250 pulses, and at the same time, the signal generator 26
I am trying to output a signal to. Further, the counter 25 is also reset when a pulse signal from the pulse generator 30 is input. Next, a process of counting the number of screens on the color film 12 using the above embodiment apparatus will be explained. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (A>), due to misregistration when printing the color C section, there is a gap 32 between the Bk section and the 0 section.
A case will be described in which the number of screens of the color film 12 is counted, and there is an overlapping part 34 between the 0 part and the M part. First, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the photoelectric sensor 16 rises at the Bk portion, falls at the gap 32, and reaches 0.
It outputs a signal that rises again at the Bk section and further rises at the next Bk section. On the other hand, a counter 25 that counts the output of the encoder 20
As shown in FIG. 3(C), from zero to 250 pulses, that is, 250 a
After counting by the length m, a signal is output to the signal generator 26 at the same time as being reset. As shown in FIG. 3(D), the signal generator 26 is activated by the signal from the counter 25 and remains ON for a certain period of time.
Output a signal. This fixed time is the color film 1
The time taken to send the length of one color in 2. At this time, the middle part of the Y part of the color film 12 is
It is located at the location of the photoelectric sensor 16. Counter 25 also has color film 12 60111
When the minute or 60 pulses are counted, the photoelectric sensor 16
detects the tip of the Bk section, and its output signal rises. On the other hand, since the ON signal of the signal generator 26 continues,
As the sensor output signal of the photoelectric sensor 16 rises, the signal generator 26 and the photoelectric sensor 1 are connected to the AND circuit 28 at the moment when the photoelectric sensor 16 detects the tip of the Bk portion.
Signals are input from both of 6. Therefore, AND circuit 2
8 outputs a signal to the pulse generator 30, and the pulse generator 3
0 outputs a pulse signal to the screen counter 24 as shown in FIG. 3(E). Therefore, the display on the screen counter 24 is incremented by one count, and the period from one Bk section of the color film 12 to the next Bk section is counted as one screen. Further, the pulse signal from the pulse generator 30 is also input to the counter 25, and the counter 25 is reset. In the above process, since there is a gap 32 between the Bk part and the 0 part, the photoelectric sensor 16 falls once and rises again between the two parts as shown in FIG. 3(B), but the signal is not generated. Since the ON signal is not outputted from the device 26, the rise of the signal on the screen of the gap 322 is ignored. Therefore, the number of screens on the color film 12 can be counted accurately. Further, in the above embodiment, for example, due to misregistration during printing, there is a gap between the M part and the 0 part, and an overlap occurs between the M part and the Y part, and the overlapping part can be detected by the photoelectric sensor 16. Similarly, when it becomes a dark part, counter 2
5 can cancel the output signal of the photoelectric sensor 16 up to the middle of the Y section, so the number of screens on the color film 12 can be accurately counted in this case as well. In the above embodiment, the encoder 20 is attached to the touch roller 18, but it may be attached, for example, to the pinch roller 36 between the small bobbin 14 and the original fabric roll IO. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the color film 12 is B
K, C, M, and Y colors, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and includes blue-based colors including cyan, red-based colors including magenta, and yellow-based colors including yellow. This method is generally applied to counting the number of screens on a web printed in three colors or four colors including black. Further, in the above embodiment, the signal processing circuit 22 is connected to the counter 2.
5, a signal generator 26, an AND circuit 28, and a pulse generator 30.
Alternatively, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment as long as the output signal of the photoelectric sensor from the tip of the dark color portion including black and blue color portions to the middle of the yellow color portion of the web can be ignored.

Effects of the Invention Since the present invention is configured as described above, the number of screens of a web in which dark colors including blue-based colors, red-based colors, and yellow-based colors are sequentially printed can be controlled even if misregistration occurs during printing. , it has the excellent effect of being able to count accurately.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing an apparatus for implementing the method for counting the number of web screens according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit in the apparatus, and Fig. 3 is a printed state of a color film. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a signal processing process corresponding thereto. 10... Original fabric roll, 12... Color film, 14... Small bobbin, 18... Touch roller, 20... Encoder, 22... Signal processing circuit, 24... Screen counter .

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Dark colors including at least the latter of black and blue-based colors;
In the method of counting the number of screens of the web by incrementing a counter by "1" when the dark-colored part of the web printed sequentially in the longitudinal direction in red-ish colors and yellow-ish colors is detected by a photoelectric sensor, the web Detects the feed amount of the area, ignores the photoelectric sensor output from the dark area to the middle of the yellowish color area, and starts a counter by detecting the first dark area after completing the length measurement up to the middle of the yellowish color area. A method for counting the number of web screens characterized by counting up by "1".