Method and system for printing containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10538110-B2
Application number	US-201615755066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A printing method includes providing metadata, image information, and coding data. The method also includes, based at least in part on the metadata, selecting a local region at which the coding data is to be arranged in the image when the image is printed, generating coded printed-image information, and directly printing a printed image on the container based on the coded printed-image information. Generating the coded printed-image information includes modifying the printed-image information based on the coding data. A location of the printed-image information is selectively modified based at least in part on the selected local region. Metadata includes information representative of the container's geometry. The printed-image information includes data representing a printed image to be applied to the container. The coding data includes information to be applied to the container in steganographically-coded form.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising printing an image on a container's surface, wherein printing said image comprises providing printing metadata, providing first printed image information, providing coding data, based at least in part on said printing metadata, selecting a local region at which said coding data is to be arranged in said image when said image is printed upon said container, generating coded printed image information, and using at least one print head, directly printing a printed image on said container based on said coded printed image information, wherein generating said coded printed image information comprises modifying said first printed image information based on said coding data, wherein a location of said first printed image information is selectively modified based at least in part on said selected local region, wherein said printing metadata includes information representative of the geometry of said container to be printed upon, wherein said first printed image information includes data representative of a printed image to be applied to said container, and wherein said coding data includes information to be applied to said container in steganographically coded form at at least one code region.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making said coding data available as second printed image information and obtaining said coded printed image information by combining said first and second printed image information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said coding data to be steganographically embedded in said coded printed image information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a location of said at least one code region based at least in part on said printing metadata.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said coding data to be present in at most one code region and determining said location based at least in part on said printing metadata.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said at least one code region to be arranged at a defined site relative to a reference mark.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said at least one code region to be arranged at a defined site relative to a reference mark selected from the group consisting of a barcode, a matrix code, and a two-dimensional code.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encoding said coding data as a dot matrix.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying said first printed image information based on said coding data comprises converting said coding data into pixels having a defined color and replacing selected pixels in said first printed image information with said pixels having said defined color.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying said first printed image information based on said coding data comprises converting said coding data into pixels having a defined color and replacing selected pixels in said first printed image information with said pixels having said defined color, said defined color is based at least in part on said coding data.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said at least one code region to be arranged at a defined site relative to a barcode and modifying pixels in said bar code based on said coding data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying said first printed image information based on said coding data comprises modifying pixels within a surface region having an area that is less than five square millimeters.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including, within said printing metadata, information indicative of a color of a container wall of said container that is to be printed upon.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said local region so that said coding data is arranged in a homogeneously-shaped region of said container wall.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making said coding data available as second printed image information and obtaining said coded printed image information by superimposing said first and second printed image information.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said at least one code region to be arranged at a defined site relative to a reference position.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying said first printed image information based on said coding data comprises modifying pixels within a surface region having an area that is less than one square millimeter.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including, within said printing metadata, information indicative of a color of liquid filling-material within said container that is to be printed upon.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing said at least one code region to be arranged at a defined site relative to a matrix code and modifying pixels in said matrix code based on said coding data.

20. An apparatus for directly printing upon a surface of a container, said apparatus comprising a first interface, a second interface, a third interface, a data-processing unit, a controller, and at least one printing station having at least one print head, wherein said first interface is configured to receive printing metadata that includes information about the geometry of a container that is to be printed upon, wherein said second interface is configured to receive first printed image information that includes data representative of a printed image to be applied to said container, wherein said third interface is configured to receive coding data that is to be applied to said container in steganographically coded form, wherein said data-processing unit is configured to use said printing metadata for selecting a local region on which said coding data is to be arranged in a printed image on said container and for generating coded printed image information by modifying said first printed image information based at least in part on said coding data and on said selected local region, and wherein said controller is configured to actuate said print head based at least in part on said coded printed image information and to print, upon said container, a printed image that contains said coding data.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Magerstedt Stefan
• Preckel Katrin

Classifications

• B42D25/333

  Watermarks · CPC title

• G06K19/06056

  the marking comprising a further embedded marking, e.g. a 1D bar code with the black bars containing a smaller sized coding · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B65C9/04

  having means for rotating the articles · CPC title

• B65B57/04

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages · CPC title