Dynamic mismatch correction system and method for book binding machines

A system for automatically correcting book portion mismatches in a book binding operation, the system comprising:

• one or more online sensors configured to generate output signals corresponding to a sequence of first book portions being conveyed along a first assembly channel leading into a book binding stage, and corresponding to a sequence of second book portions being conveyed along a second assembly channel leading into the book binding stage;
• and
• a controller functionally linked to the one or more online sensors and configured to:
• predict a mismatch state between a first book portion and a second book portion based on the respective sequences and with respect to expected first and second sequences dependent on a defined book assembly batch;
• determine an intervention event corresponding to the predicted mismatch state, from among a plurality of intervention events each respectively corresponding to one or more of a plurality of mismatch states;
• and
• automatically execute the determined intervention event corresponding to the predicted mismatch state;
• at least one of the plurality of intervention events comprising generating control signals for selective routing of the first book portion and/or the second book portion associated with the predicted mismatch state from the respective assembly channel into a correction channel and reinsertion of the first book portion and/or the second book portion associated with the predicted mismatch state into the respective assembly channel corresponding to a modified version of the respective sequence,
• wherein the controller and/or one or more processors independent of the controller are configured during a model development stage, for each of a plurality of input data sets received over time and comprising inputs from the one or more online sensors, to correlate the input data sets, and any predicted mismatches and/or performed intervention events, with determined outcomes at a corresponding book binding stage;
• wherein a model corresponding to the model development stage is stored in data storage functionally linked to the controller;
• and
• wherein the controller is configured, for a current book binding operation, to predict the mismatch state between the first book portion and the second book portion, and further determine the intervention event corresponding to the predicted mismatch state, based on the associated inputs from the one or more online sensors and by reference to correlated data sets from the model.