Electronic image registration
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDeborah B. Griego, Joe M. Hopping, Teddy A. Rehage, John H. Rhodes, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrophotographic printing machine utilizing a scanning light beam to produce generated characters is disclosed. The start of character generation is controlled by the edge position of paper receiving the image. Edge position of the paper is sensed prior to entry of the paper into the print receiving station. Signal(s) representing the edge position are sent to data processing control means. The signals are converted into an appropriate shift factor for controlling the start of pel generation. In that manner, the image to be generated is shifted in accordance with paper position so that proper margins are maintained regardless of paper position.
Claims10
A method for controlling a printing machine to maintain a desired margin on sheets of print receiving material despite variations from sheet to sheet in the side edge position of said print receiving material, comprising the steps of:
- feeding a sheet of said print receiving material from a supply area to a processing station whereat said printing machine places print on said material;
- sensing the position of the side edge of said sheet of print receiving material prior to its entry into said processing station;
- deriving a factor indicative of the sensed position;
- and
- controlling the placement of said print in accordance with the derived factor so that a desired margin can be maintained on said print receiving material.
Apparatus for shifting the side edge of an image to be generated at a processing station by an electrophotographic printing machine in accordance with the variable position of the side edge of image receiving material in order to maintain proper print margin, comprising:
- feeding means for serially feeding sheets of image receiving material along a path to said processing station;
- sensing means located along the side edge of said path for sensing the side edge position of said material and for producing signals indicative thereof;
- and
- data processing means for receiving said signals and for producing a shift factor therefrom, said shift factor representing the number of picture elements (pels) by which said image must be shifted to maintain a proper margin consonant with the sensed position of the side edge.
An electrophotographic printing machine comprising:
- a processing station including photoreceptive material for receiving an image;
- an optical system including light source means for generating said image;
- supply means for holding sheets of image receiving material;
- means for defining a path between said supply means and said processing station;
- feeding means for serially forwarding individual image receiving sheets from said supply means along said path to said processing station;
- sensing means located along said path adjacent an edge thereof for sensing the position of an edge of a sheet of image receiving material as it moves therealong and for producing signals indicative of said position;
- and
- control means for receiving said signals and for generating a shift factor therefrom, said control means also including means for controlling said optical system to alter the generation of character producing pels in accordance with said shift factor;
- whereby the position of said image is shifted in accordance with the position of said material so that desired margins are maintained between said image and the edge of said material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.