Cutoff control system

A system for relating a cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path, by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying said machine operation relative to said moving web in accordance with said control signals, said system comprising:

• means for generating image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, said image signature being indicative of the image at respective sampling intervals related to the associated machine operation cycle;
• means for selectively generating, from a first image signature in respect of a first machine operation cycle, reference pattern indicia, said means for selectively generating reference pattern indicia comprising:
• means for generating, from said first image signature, indicia of the maximum of the auto-correlation function of said first image signature;
• means for selectively generating, from a successive image signature in respect to a successive machine operation cycle, successive pattern indicia, said means for selectively generating successive pattern indicia comprising:
• means for generating indicia of the maximum of the cross-correlation of said first image signature and said second image signature;
• and
• means for generating said control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with differences between said reference pattern indicia and said successive pattern indicia.

A system for relating a cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path, by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying said machine operation relative to said moving web in accordance with said control signals, said system comprising:

• means for generating image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, said image signature being indicative of the image at respective sampling intervals during the associated machine operation cycle;
• means for selectively generating, from a first image signature in respect of a first machine operation cycle, reference pattern indicia;
• means for selectively generating, from a successive image signature in respect of a successive machine operating cycle, successive pattern indicia;
• and
• means for generating said control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with differences between said reference pattern indicia and said successive pattern indicia;
• said means for selectively generating reference pattern indicia comprising:
• means for selectively generating, from said first image signatures, indicia of the point of greatest change in said image during said first machine operating cycle;
• and
• said means for selectively generating successive pattern indicia comprising:
• means for selectively generating, from said successive image signature, indicia of the point of greatest change in said image during said successive machine operation cycle;
• and
• means for selectively generating indicia of the relative location, in an array of elements of the cross-correlation of said first image signature and said successive image signature, of an element of the cross-correlation array having the largest magnitude;
• and
• said means for generating control signals to said adjustment means comprising:
• means for selectively generating control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with differences in the points of greatest change in said first image signature and said successive image signature;
• and
• means for selectively generating control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with deviations from the center of said array of the maximum cross-correlation element.

A system for relating a cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path, by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying said machine operation relative to said moving web in accordance with said control signals, said system comprising:

• means for generating image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, said image signature being indicative of the image at respective sampling intervals during the associated machine operation cycle;
• means for selectively generating, from a first image signature in respect of a first machine operation cycle, reference pattern indicia;
• means for selectively generating, from a successive image signature in respect of a successive machine operating cycle, successive pattern indicia;
• and
• means for generating said control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with differences between said reference pattern indicia and said successive pattern indicia;
• said means for selectively generating reference pattern indicia comprising:
• means for selectively generating, from said first image signature, indicia of the point of greatest change in said image during said first machine operating cycle;
• and
• means for selectively generating indicia of the maximum element of the auto-correlation function of said first signature;
• said means for selectively generating successive pattern indicia comprising:
• means for selectively generating, from said successive image signature, indicia of the point of greatest change in said image during said successive machine operation cycle;
• and
• means for selectively generating indicia of the maximum magnitude element of the cross-correlation of said first and successive image signatures;
• and
• said means for generating control signals to said adjustment means comprising:
• means for selectively generating control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with differences in the points of greatest change in said first image signature and said successive image signature;
• and
• means for selectively generating control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with a comparison of said maximum auto-correlation element and said maximum cross-correlation element.

A system for controlling, in relation to a periodic characteristic of a web, an apparatus periodically operating upon said web as said web moves along a path, said apparatus being responsive to control signals applied thereto to vary the relation of said apparatus to said web, said system comprising:

• means for generating successive data bytes indicative of the value of said web characteristic at a predetermined point in said web path at predetermined sampling intervals;
• means for generating marker signals indicative of the operation periods of said apparatus;
• storage means for controllably storing indicia, said storage means including at least a first predetermined number of accessible sequential locations;
• means, cooperating with said storage means and responsive to said marker signals and a ready signal applied thereto, for, in respect of operation periods of said apparatus, selectively storing, in sequential locations in said storage means, characteristics signatures, the characteristic signature in respect of an operation period, comprising data bytes corresponding to said first predetermined number of sampling intervals occurring after a marker signal indicative of said operation period;
• means for selectively generating a flag indicia capable of assuming at least first and second states;
• reference indicia generating means, responsive to said flag indicia in said first state, and cooperating with said storage means, for selectively generating reference indicia representative of a reference location in said storage means, said reference location being indicative of the particular sampling interval in a first signature during which a point of maximum change in said first signature occurred;
• means, cooperating with said reference indicia means, for selectively setting said flag indicia to said second state, and for selectively generating said ready signal;
• comparative indicia generating means, responsive to said flag indicia in said second state and cooperating with said storage means, for selectively generating comparative indicia representative of a comparative location in said storage means, said comparative location being indicative of the particular sampling interval in a successive signature subsequent to said first signature during which a point of maximum change in said successive signature occurred;
• means for selectively generating control signals to said apparatus in accordance with a comparison of said comparative indicia and said reference indicia;
• and
• means, cooperating with said means for generating control signals, for selectively generating said ready signal.

A system for relating a cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path, by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying the said machine operation relative to said moving web in accordance with said control signals, said system comprising:

• means for generating successive image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, said image signatures comprising respective indicia of the instantaneous image on said web at a point in constant relation to said machine operation at successive sampling intervals related to the machine operation cycle;
• means for selectively storing, as a reference image signature, indicia of a first image signature;
• means for generating indicia of the maximum element of the auto-correlation function of said reference image signature;
• means for selectively storing indicia of a successive image signature;
• means for generating indicia of the maximum element of the cross-correlation of said reference and successive image signatures;
• and
• means for generating said control signal to said adjustment means in accordance with a comparison between said cross-correlation maximum element and said auto-correlation maximum element.

A system for relating a cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying said machine operation, with respect to said moving web, in accordance with said control signals, said system being adapted to cooperate with a web-fed printer including a cutting apparatus, said machine operation comprising periodic operation of said cutting apparatus to cut said moving web, and said adjustment means comprising means for controllably varying the effective position along said web path of said cutting apparatus;

• said system comprising:
• means for generating successive image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, indicative of the image at a point on said web a constant distance from said machine operation at respective sampling intervals during the machine operation cycle;
• said means for generating image signatures comprises:
• a scanner for generating image signals indicative of the image on said web at a predetermined point in said web path;
• means for generating a marker signal indicative of a nominal beginning of said cutoff operation cycle;
• converter means, responsive to said image signal, for generating data bytes representative of the image at said point at incremental sampling intervals;
• and
• storage means, responsive to said data byte and said marker signals, for selectively, with respect to at least a first and successive cutoff operation cycle, temporarily storing data bytes corresponding to sampling intervals within said cutoff operation cycle, the data bytes corresponding to sampling intervals within said first cutoff operation cycle comprising said first image signature, and said data bytes corresponding to sampling intervals within said successive cutoff operation cycle comprising said successive image signature;
• means for selectively generating, from a first image signature, indicia of the point of greatest change in a first image;
• means for selectively generating, from a successive image signature, indicia of the point of greatest change in a successive image;
• and
• means for generating said control signal to said adjustment means in accordance with a comparison of said first image and second image points of greatest change.

A system for controlling, in relation to a periodic characteristic of a web, an apparatus periodically operating upon said web as said web moves along a path, said apparatus being responsive to control signals applied thereto to vary the relation of said apparatus to said web, said system comprising:

• means for generating successive data bytes indicative of the value of said web characteristic at a predetermined point in said web path at predetermined sampling intervals;
• means for generating a marker signal indicative of operation of said apparatus;
• storage means for controllably storing indicia, said storage means including a first array of sequential locations having at least one location corresponding to each incremental sampling interval in a first operational cycle period of said apparatus, and a second array of sequential locations having at least one location corresponding to each incremental sampling interval in a second operational cycle period of said apparatus;
• means for selectively generating a flag indicia capable of assuming at least first and second states;
• means cooperating with said storage means and responsive to said marker signal and said flag indicia, for selectively storing data bytes corresponding to said first operational cycle in the respective sequential locations of said first array and sequentially storing successive data bytes corresponding to said subsequent operational cycle in the respective sequential locations of said second array;
• cross-correlation means for generating, in a cross-correlation function array of sequential storage locations, indicia of the respective elements of the cross-correlation function of said first and second arrays;
• means cooperating with said cross-correlation means, for generating indicia of the relative location in said cross-correlation function array of the element of said cross-correlation function having a maximum magnitude;
• and
• means for generating said control signal to said apparatus in accordance with the deviation of said location of said maximum correlation function element from the center location of said correlation function array.

A web-fed printer comprising:

• drive means for moving a web along a path;
• means, disposed along said path, for repetitively generating images on a said web;
• a cutting apparatus for periodically cutting said web, disposed along said path;
• adjustment means, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for controllably varying the effective relative position of said cutting apparatus from said image generating means along said path;
• signature generator means for generating at least a first and a successive image signature, said first and successive image signatures being indicative of the image on said web at a point along said path between said adjustment means and said cutting apparatus at successive incremental sampling intervals related to a first cutting apparatus period and a successive cutting apparatus period, respectively;
• means, cooperating with said signature generator means, for selectively generating, in respect of said first cutting apparatus period, reference pattern indicia, said means for selectively generating said reference pattern indicia comprising;
• means for generating indicia of the maximum element of the auto-correlation function of said first signature;
• means, cooperating with said signature generator means, for selectively generating, in respect of said successive cutting apparatus, successive pattern indicia, said means for generating successive pattern indicia comprising:
• means for generating indicia of the maximum magnitude element of the cross-correlation of said first and successive image signature;
• and
• means, responsive to said reference pattern indicia and said successive pattern indicia, for selectively generating said control signals to said adjustment means, said means for generating control signals to said adjustment means comprising:
• means for selectively generating said control signals in accordance with a comparison of said maxinum auto-correlation element and said maximum cross-correlation element.

A web-fed printer comprising:

• drive means for moving a web along a path;
• means, disposed along said path, for repetitively generating images on a said web;
• a cutting apparatus for periodically cutting said web, disposed along said path;
• adjustment means, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for controllably varying the effective relative position of said cutting apparatus from said image generating means along said path;
• signature generator means for generating at least a first and a successive image signature, said first and successive image signature being indicative of the image on said web at a point along said path between said adjustment means and said cutting apparatus at successive incremental sampling intervals related to a first cutting apparatus period and a successive cutting apparatus period, respectively;
• means, cooperating with said signature generator means, for selectively generating, in respect of said first cutting apparatus period, reference pattern indicia;
• means, cooperating with said signature generator means, for selectively generating, in respect of said successive cutting apparatus, successive pattern indicia, said means for generating successive pattern indicia comprising:
• means for generating indicia of the relative location, in an array of elements of the cross-correlation function of said first image signature and said successive image signature, of an element of the cross-correlation function array having the largest magnitude;
• and
• means, responsive to said reference pattern indicia and said successive pattern indicia, for selectively generating said control signals to said adjustment means;
• said means for generating control signals to said adjustment means comprising:
• means for selectively generating said control signals in accordance with deviations from the center of said array of said maximum cross-correlation element.

A system for relating cyclical machine operation to the position of images on a web moving along a web path by generating control signals to adjustment means for varying said machine operation relative to said moving web in accordance with said control signals, said system comprising:

• means for generating image signatures in respect of successive machine operation cycles, said image signature being indicative of the image at respective sampling intervals during the associated machine operated cycle;
• means for generating indicia of the relative location, in an array of elements of the cross-correlation of a first image signature and a successive image signature, of an element of the cross-correlation array having the largest magnitude;
• and
• means for selectively generating control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with deviations of the relative location of said largest magnitude element from the center of said array.

A system for controlling, in relation to a periodic characteristic of a web, an apparatus periodically operating upon said web as said web moves along a path, said apparatus being responsive to control signals applied thereto to vary the relation of said apparatus to said web, said system comprising:

• means for generating successive data bytes indicative of the value of said web characteristic at a predetermined point in said web path at predetermined sampling intervals;
• first, second and third arrays of memory locations;
• means for selectively storing data bytes corresponding to a first operational cycle in said first array and storing data bytes corresponding to a subsequent operational cycle in said second array;
• cross-correlation means for generating in said third array, indicia of the respective elements of the cross-correlation function of said first and second arrays;
• means for determining the relative location in said third array of the element of said cross-correlation function having a maximum magnitude;
• and
• means for generating said control signal to said apparatus in accordance with the deviation of said location of the maximum correlation function element from the center location of said third array.

A web-fed printer comprising:

• drive means for moving a web along a path;
• means, disposed along said path, for repetitively generating images on a said web;
• a cutting apparatus for periodically cutting said web, disposed along said path;
• adjustment means, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for controllably varying the effective relative position of said cutting apparatus from said image generating means along said path;
• signature generator means for generating at least a first and a successive image signature, said first and successive image signatures being indicative of the image on said web at a point along said path between said adjustment means and said cutting apparatus at successive incremental sampling intervals during a first cutting apparatus period and a successive cutting apparatus period, respectively;
• means for determining the relative location of elements of the cross-correlation of said first image signature and said successive image signature;
• and
• means for selectively generating said control signals to said adjustment means in accordance with deviations of the location of said maximum magnitude element from the center of said array of elements.