Card-marking system and method for the automated detection of an optimized setting of a card-marking system
AssigneeMuhlbauer AG
InventorsBenedikt Irlbacher, Tu Nguyen, Robert Stark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A card-marking system is provided for personalizing plastic cards such as chip cards or identity cards by laser marking. A corresponding method for automated detection of an optimized setting includes a vision sub-system setting process for setting a vision sub-system of the card marking system and a subsequent marking sub-system setting process for setting a marking sub-system of the card-marking system. The card-marking system is designed to carry out the above method fully or semi-automatedly and to this end can include a corresponding computer program controlling the method.
Claims18
A method for automatically determining an optimized setting of a card marking system for personalization of plastic cards by laser marking, wherein the card marking system comprises a marking subsystem for marking a card, as well as a vision subsystem for inspecting the card, and wherein the method comprises:
- (a) a vision subsystem setting process for automatically determining an optimized target setting of the vision subsystem, comprising:
- inspecting a reference element by the vision subsystem and generating an inspection result, wherein the vision subsystem has a currently set actual setting;
- and
- determining a target setting of the vision subsystem in dependence upon a comparison of the inspection result with a reference inspection criterion in such a way that the target setting defines a target setting of the vision subsystem for a subsequent operative marking mode of operation of the card marking system, which target setting of the vision subsystem, with respect to the reference inspection criterion, is optimized relative to the actual setting;
- (b) a subsequent marking subsystem setting process for automatically determining an optimized target setting of the marking subsystem, comprising:
- marking a card by the marking subsystem so as to form a predetermined reference marking, wherein the marking subsystem is currently set to an actual setting;
- inspecting the marked card by the vision subsystem set according to its target setting which has been determined in the vision subsystem setting process so as to generate a card inspection result;
- and
- determining a target setting of the marking subsystem in dependence upon a comparison of the card inspection result with a predetermined marking inspection criterion so that the target setting of the marking subsystem defines a target setting of the marking subsystem which, relative to the actual setting, is optimized with respect to the at least one marking inspection criterion, for a subsequent operative marking mode of operation of the card marking system;
- and
- (c) a reconciliation process that automatically reconciles coordinate systems which are used respectively by the vision subsystem and the marking subsystem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.