System and method for controlling printing applications over variable layouts
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn D. Davis, Rickey M. Fullmer, Michael S. Lafranzo, Richard L. Lenski, Charles J. Novak, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for accurately controlling a printing process regardless web width or printing layout. A user interface is provided for configuring a printing application that includes a plurality of sensors arranged to form an interface region. The sensors are configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with the interface region. A controller is configured to map the plurality of sensors into virtual keys based on at least a columniation of the printing application and adjust parameters of the printing application based on the feedback.
Claims18
A user interface for configuring a printing press in a production environment comprising:
- a first row of ink adjustment sensors and a second row of dampener adjustment sensors, the ink adjustment sensors and the dampener adjustment sensors arranged to form an interface region and configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with the interface region;
- and
- a controller configured to dynamically map the ink adjustment sensors and the dampener adjustment sensors into rows of virtual keys based on at least a columniation of a print layout and independent of a web width, and the controller configured to adjust ink parameters of the printing press in the production environment based on feedback from the first row of the ink adjustment sensors and adjust dampener parameters of the printing press in the production environment based on feedback from the second row of the dampener adjustment sensors.
An operator counsel keyboard for controlling a printing press during a newspaper printing application comprising:
- a plurality of ink adjustment sensors arranged to form a substantially continuous ink adjustment interface region and configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with the substantially continuous ink adjustment interface region;
- a plurality of dampener adjustment sensors arranged to form a substantially continuous dampener adjustment interface region and configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with the substantially continuous dampener adjustment interface region;
- a controller configured to dynamically segregate the plurality of ink adjustment sensors and dampener adjustment sensors into ink adjustment virtual keys and dampener adjustment virtual keys independent of a web width, each ink adjustment virtual key and dampener adjustment virtual key corresponding to a respective portion of a newspaper layout used for the newspaper printing application;
- and
- wherein feedback from at least one of the ink adjustment sensors segregated into a given ink adjustment virtual key corresponding to a given portion of the newspaper layout causes the controller to adjust ink of the printing press affecting the given portion, and wherein feedback from at least one of the dampener adjustment sensors segregated into a given dampener adjustment virtual key corresponding to a given portion of the newspaper layout causes the controller to adjust dampening of the printing press affecting the given portion.
A keyboard for controlling a newspaper printing press based on a columned layout of a newspaper comprising:
- a plurality of ink adjustment sensors arranged to form a substantially continuous ink adjustment interface region and configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with a portion of the substantially continuous ink adjustment interface;
- a plurality of dampener adjustment sensors arranged to form a substantially continuous dampener adjustment interface region and configured to generate feedback indicating user interaction with a portion of the substantially continuous dampener adjustment interface;
- a controller configured to dynamically map the plurality of ink adjustment sensors and dampener adjustment sensors into ink adjustment virtual keys and dampener adjustment virtual keys independent of a web width, each ink adjustment virtual key and dampener adjustment virtual key corresponding to a respective column of the columned layout of the newspaper;
- and
- wherein feedback from at least one of the ink adjustment sensors mapped into a given ink adjustment virtual key corresponding to a given column causes the controller to adjust ink parameters of the newspaper printing press affecting the given column, and wherein feedback from at least one of the dampener adjustment sensors mapped into a given dampener adjustment virtual key corresponding to a given column causes the controller to adjust dampening parameters of the newspaper printing press affecting the given column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.