# US 2022/0044082 A1 · Printer calibration utilizing non-production frames

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- Number: US 2022/0044082 A1
- Document ID: US20220044082A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/298,488
- Filed: 2019-04-30
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-30
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Shane Shivji; Thomas J. Peck
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220044082A1

## CPC

- G06K 15/027: {Test patterns and calibration (arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033)}
- B41J 2/2142: {Detection of malfunctioning nozzles (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045, B41J2/05; jet deflection sensors B41J2/125; for cleaning purposes B41J2/16579)}
- B41J 15/04: Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
- G06K 15/022: {for printing on continuous media, e.g. tapes}
- G06K 15/408: {Handling exceptions, e.g. faults (computer driven error handling and recovery for a printer G06F3/1234)}
- G06K 19/06018: {one-dimensional coding}
- H04N 1/00029: {Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state}
- H04N 1/00045: {using a reference pattern designed for the purpose, e.g. a test chart}
- H04N 1/0005: {in service, i.e. during normal operation}
- H04N 1/00665: {Details specific to handling of web-shaped media, e.g. paper or film rolls}
- H04N 1/32106: {separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file}
- H04N 1/32459: {for changing the arrangement of the stored data}
- H04N 1/6036: {involving periodic tests or tests during use of the machine}
- H04N 2201/3222: of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

In an example of the disclosure, a print job is received. The print job is to be printed upon a roll media at a printer, and includes a set of production frames 1-n. Printing of the production frames, a non-production frame x and a non-production frame y is caused. The non-production frame x includes an instruction to modify a non-printing apparatus that is to perform an action upon the printed print job, and is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n. The non-production frame y includes a diagnostic and is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n. The diagnostic is scanned to generate scan data. The scan data utilized to perform a calibration operation at the printer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for printer calibration utilizing non-production frames, comprising:
receiving a print job to be printed upon a roll media at a printer, the print job including a plurality of production frames 1-n;
causing printing of the production frames, a non-production frame x and a nonproduction frame y, wherein
the non-production frame x includes an instruction to modify a non-printing apparatus that is to perform an action upon the printed print job, and the non-production frame x is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n, and
the non-production frame y includes a diagnostic, and the non-production frame y is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n;
scanning the diagnostic to generate scan data; and
utilizing the scan data to perform a calibration operation at the printer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the non-printing apparatus is downstream of the printing of the print job in terms of workflow.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the printing of the non-production frame y is triggered by one from the set of 1) receipt of data indicative that the non-printing apparatus is malfunctioning, 2) receipt of data indicative that a component of the printer downstream of a printhead is malfunctioning, a set-up of the printer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the non-production frame x instruction is a coded instruction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the diagnostic is performed utilizing a scanner at the printer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration operation is an image registration calibration.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration operation is a color accuracy calibration.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the non-printing apparatus includes informing the apparatus of an attribute of a subject production frame among production frames 1-n, such that the apparatus can perform a post-printing action upon the subject production frame.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is a cutting apparatus, and wherein the post-printing action is a cutting action with respect to the subject production frame.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration operation is a first calibration operation and the diagnostic is a first diagnostic, and wherein modifying the non-printing apparatus includes providing a second diagnostic that is to be scanned and utilized in a second calibration operation that is for the non-printing apparatus.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1,
wherein the printer is a multi-roll printer;
further comprising causing the printer to switch from a first media roll to a second media roll, without interrupting printing of the print job, by performing a splicing operation that joins the first and second media rolls at a splice line; and
further comprising causing the printer to print the non-production frames x and y such that no portion of the production frames 1-n nor the non-production frames x or y are printed over the splice line.

### Claim 12

A system for printer calibration utilizing non-production frames, comprising:
a print job engine, to cause a printer to print a job upon a roll media, the job including a plurality of production frames 1-n;
a first non-production frame engine, to cause printing of a non-production downstream apparatus frame (“NPDAF”) after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n, the NPDAF including an instruction to be scanned by an apparatus downstream from the printer, the apparatus to perform a non-printing operation upon the printed print job, and the instruction to, after the scanning, cause a change in a setting of the apparatus;
a second non-production frame engine, to cause printing of a non-production printer calibration frame (“NPPCF”) after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n, the NPPCF including a calibration image;
a scanner;
a scanning engine, to cause a scanner to capture the calibration image and create scan data representative of the calibration image; and
a calibration operation engine, to perform a calibration operation at the printer based upon the scan data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein therein the apparatus is not in-line with the printer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12,
wherein the calibration operation is a first calibration operation;
wherein the NPDAF is a first NPDAF, and the first non-production frame engine is to cause printing of a set of NPDAFs;
wherein the NPPCF is a first NPPCF; and
further comprising a substitution engine to cause printing of a second NPPCF in substitution of one from the set of NPDAFs to be printed.

### Claim 15

A printer, comprising:
a set of printheads to form images upon a roll media in accordance with a received print job;
a media transport component to cause movement of the roll media past the set of printheads;
a scanner;
a controller to
receive the print job, the print job including a plurality of production frames 1-n;
cause the set of printheads to print of the production frames 1-n, a non-production frame x and a nonproduction frame y, wherein
the non-production frame x includes an instruction to modify a non-printing apparatus that is to perform an action upon the printed print job, and the non-production frame x is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n, and
the non-production frame y includes a diagnostic, and the non-production frame y is printed after the printing of production frame 1 and before the printing of production frame n;
cause the scanner to scan the diagnostic at the non-production frame y to generate scan data; and
perform a calibration of a printhead of the set of printheads based upon the scan data, without stopping movement of the roll media during printing of the print job.