Methods and systems to ensure correct printing plate usage for encoded signals

Abstract

This disclosure relates to advanced signal processing technology including signal encoding and digital watermarking. Aspects of the disclosure provide methods, articles of manufacture and systems for determining printing plate inconsistencies, e.g., for printing presses printing encoded images or artwork. Of course, other features and combinations are described as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting a printing plate mismatch, said method comprising:
 obtaining a substrate including a control icon printed thereon, the control icon comprises a design printed in each of at least a first color channel, a second color channel, and a third color channel, the design comprising a plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, a rotation indicator, and a plurality of registration indicators, in which the rotation indicator includes an orientation associated with a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), and in which the design is spatially registered across the first color channel, second color channel and third color channels to form the control icon when printed;   evaluating the control icon to determine if the printed control icon comprises more than one (1) observable rotation indicator, said evaluating yielding a determination; and   identifying a printing plate mismatch based on the determination.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the rotation indicator comprises a numerical digit between 0 and 9, and includes a predetermined rotation associated with the numerical digit, and the plurality of registration indicators comprises dashes or line segments, in which the rotation indicator is positioned within the central shape and the numerical digit is positioned within the rotation indicator. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the determination identifies more than one (1) observable rotation indicator by determining that more than one (1) numeric digit is present within the control icon. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the determination identifies more than one (1) observable rotation indicator by determining a color other than black or white is present within the control icon. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  in which the color other than black or white is determined through spectrophotometer data analysis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which the determination identifies more than one (1) observable rotation indicator based on image analysis of the control icon, the image analysis indicating a mis-registration of the registration indicator. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which the central element comprises a machine-readable code carried therein through line modulations. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining whether the substrate is authentic through determining a displacement from a predetermined center of the central element. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  in which the first color channel comprises Cyan, the second color channel comprises Magenta and the third color channel comprises Yellow, said design printed in a fourth color channel comprising black, and in which the design is spatially registered across the first color channel, second color channel, third color channel and fourth color channel to form the control icon when printed. 
     
     
         10 . A substrate for a retail package, hang tag or label, the substrate comprising:
 a barcode including a check digit;   a printed control icon, the control icon comprising a design printed with each of four (4) ink separations, the design comprising a plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, a rotation indicator corresponding to the check digit, a plurality of registration indicators, the four (4) ink separations comprising a Cyan (C) color channel, a Magenta (M) color channel, a Yellow (Y) color channel and a Black (K) color channel;   in which the control icon indicates a printing plate mismatch when it comprises more than one (1) observable rotation indicator.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate of  claim 10  in which the central element comprises a circle, and the rotation indicator comprises a numeric representation of the check digit, in which the rotation indicator is positioned at a rotation associated with the check digit. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate of  claim 11  in which the plurality of registration indicators comprises a plurality of line segments or hashes. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate of  claim 10  in which the control icon comprises more than one (1) observable rotation indicator. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate of  claim 13  in which the more than one (1) observable rotation indicator is observable since the control icon comprises an observable color other than black or white. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate of  claim 13  in which the more than one (1) observable rotation indicator is observable since the control icon comprises a mis-registration in two or more color channels for the rotation indicator. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate of  claim 13  in which the more than one (1) observable rotation indicator is observable since the control icon comprises a mis-registration in two or more color channels for the numeric representation of the check digit. 
     
     
         17 . The substrate of  claim 10 , in which the central element comprises a machine-readable encoded signal carried by at least the Cyan (C) color channel or the Black (K) color channel, the machine-readable encoded signal carried through line modifications to the central element. 
     
     
         18 . The substrate of  claim 17  in which the machine-readable encoded signal comprises digital watermarking. 
     
     
         19 . A method of authenticating the substrate of  claim 10  comprising:
 obtaining image data corresponding to at least the control icon; and 
 determining if the substrate is authentic through determining a centroid displacement from a predetermined center of the central element. 
 
     
     
         20 . The substrate of  claim 10 , further comprising: an ink control strip printed in a trim area or fold area, in which the control icon is printed within or adjacent to the ink control strip.