Patents by Inventor STEFFEN NEEB

STEFFEN NEEB has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11630611
    Abstract: A method of processing print jobs on a printing substrate processing machine by using a computer, includes creating a data model for the computer with parameters for an unusable print/set-up time prediction on the basis of global print jobs and printing machine data, training the data model on the basis of global and/or local print jobs and printing machine data by using the computer, and defining ease-of-use criteria by an operator. The trained data model for the computer is used to predict the number of unusable prints during set up and set-up time of the printing substrate processing machine. The order of the processing of the print jobs is optimized on the basis of the predicted number of unusable prints during set-up and the predicted set-up time by using the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Nikolaus Pfeiffer, Steffen Neeb, Franz Woellert, Roland Stenzel, Nicolas Martin
  • Patent number: 11325391
    Abstract: A method for operating a printing material processing machine by using a computer includes acquiring print job parameters from print jobs for the printing material processing machine and machine parameters by using the computer, evaluating the acquired parameters to determine the machine state by using the computer, and requesting and providing fluid consumable materials for optimizing the operation of the machine on the basis of the determined machine state by using the computer. Maintenance measures carried out on the machine are optimized on the basis of the determined machine state, by using the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Andreas Henn
  • Patent number: 11247496
    Abstract: A device for controlling the printing operation in an inkjet printing machine includes at least one inkjet print head disposed at an adjustable distance from a substrate to be printed on. A device receives a print job and a bad sheet sensor has a trigger threshold. A machine control unit adjusts the distance between the inkjet print head and the substrate to be printed on as well as the trigger threshold of the bad sheet sensor before or after the printing operation as a function of a received print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Andreas Henn, Jens Forche
  • Publication number: 20210294540
    Abstract: A method of processing print jobs on a printing substrate processing machine by using a computer, includes creating a data model for the computer with parameters for an unusable print/set-up time prediction on the basis of global print jobs and printing machine data, training the data model on the basis of global and/or local print jobs and printing machine data by using the computer, and defining ease-of-use criteria by an operator. The trained data model for the computer is used to predict the number of unusable prints during set up and set-up time of the printing substrate processing machine. The order of the processing of the print jobs is optimized on the basis of the predicted number of unusable prints during set-up and the predicted set-up time by using the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: NIKOLAUS PFEIFFER, STEFFEN NEEB, FRANZ WOELLERT, ROLAND STENZEL, NICOLAS MARTIN
  • Publication number: 20200376850
    Abstract: A method for operating a printing material processing machine by using a computer includes acquiring print job parameters from print jobs for the printing material processing machine and machine parameters by using the computer, evaluating the acquired parameters to determine the machine state by using the computer, and requesting and providing fluid consumable materials for optimizing the operation of the machine on the basis of the determined machine state by using the computer. Maintenance measures carried out on the machine are optimized on the basis of the determined machine state, by using the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN
  • Patent number: 10625499
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating for defective print heads in an inkjet printing machine uses a computer to analyze printing nozzle test charts and/or area coverage elements to obtain characteristic values of individual printing nozzles in a print head, to calculate the failure probabilities of these printing nozzles on the basis of thresholds, and to compensate for a printing nozzle that exceeds a specified failure probability. The computer uses the individual failure probabilities of the individual printing nozzles in a print head to calculate the failure probability of the print head and initiates compensation measures as a function of the calculation. The thresholds correspond to a multi-dimensional characteristic value threshold based on which the computer calculates the failure probability of a printing nozzle by using an algorithm including kernel density estimation through a multidimensional distribution function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Andreas Henn, Jens Forche, Andreas Fehlner
  • Patent number: 10603900
    Abstract: A method detects defective print nozzles in an inkjet printing machine by a computer. In a first phase within the context of a print job, print nozzle test patterns are printed beside a subject on a printing substrate. These print nozzle test patterns are then digitized by an image sensor and sent to the computer, where they are analyzed by the computer to determine the current state of the print nozzles, including defective print nozzles. After the first phase, the print nozzle test patterns are modified by the computer on the basis of the current state of the print nozzles and, in a second phase, the modified print nozzle test patterns are printed, digitized and evaluated by the computer with regard to the determination of the current state of the print nozzles and defective print nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Fehlner, Thomas Wolf, Andreas Henn, Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Jens Forche
  • Patent number: 10603923
    Abstract: A method for detecting defective printing nozzles in an inkjet printing machine includes printing a multi-row printing nozzle test chart formed of horizontal rows of equidistant vertical lines periodically underneath one another, with only printing nozzles in a print head contributing to every row of the test chart corresponding to the horizontal rows. An area coverage element geometrically associated with the test chart is printed, both elements are recorded by an image sensor and analyzed by the computer. The computer analyzes the recorded area coverage element to detect print defects and allocates defects to a region of geometrically close printing nozzles. An analysis of the test chart in the region identifies nozzles causing the defect. Defective printing nozzles are detected based on thresholds, the detected printing nozzles are then compensated, and in the analysis of the recorded area coverage element, influences of the sensor are eliminated by shading correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Johannes Muehl, Hans Koehler, Roland Stenzel, Andreas Henn, Martin Mayer, Steffen Neeb, Frank Muth, Jan Krieger, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Mina Abosetta
  • Publication number: 20200094594
    Abstract: A device for controlling the printing operation in an inkjet printing machine includes at least one inkjet print head disposed at an adjustable distance from a substrate to be printed on. A device receives a print job and a bad sheet sensor has a trigger threshold. A machine control unit adjusts the distance between the inkjet print head and the substrate to be printed on as well as the trigger threshold of the bad sheet sensor before or after the printing operation as a function of a received print job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN, JENS FORCHE
  • Patent number: 10596806
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating for defective printing nozzles in an ink jet printing machine by using a computer includes printing printing nozzle test charts next to an actual print in a production run, subsequently recording and digitizing the printed printing nozzle test charts by using at least one image sensor, evaluating recorded test charts and, based thereon, defining characteristic values for all printing nozzles contributing to the printed printing nozzle test charts by using the computer, calculating a failure probability for every contributing printing nozzle based on the determined characteristic values by applying a statistical prediction model using the computer, and switching off and compensating for all printing nozzles exceeding a first defined threshold for the calculated failure probability. A printing operation is then carried out on the ink jet printing machine with printing nozzle compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Andreas Henn, Andreas Fehlner, Thomas Wolf, Jens Forche
  • Patent number: 10576750
    Abstract: A method for compensating for disruption torques in driving a jetting cylinder in an inkjet printing machine includes recording print image products for at least one color and at least one complete rotation of the jetting cylinder by using an image sensor and using a computer for a time parallel measurement of a driving torque of the jetting cylinder, generating an average gray value profile above a circumferential coordinate based on the recorded image data by using the computer, transforming the average gray value profile and the measured profile of the driving torque into a frequency range by using a computer-assisted Fourier transform and extracting order components from the frequency range. A periodic compensation torque is calculated based on the extracted order components, and the calculated periodic compensation torque is factored-in when actuating the jetting cylinder of the inkjet printing machine in the course of a printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Alexander Sendobry
  • Patent number: 10549545
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating defective printing nozzles in an inkjet printing machine includes periodically printing at least one printing nozzle test chart having horizontal rows of equidistant vertical lines underneath one another, with only nozzles contributing to the test chart in every row corresponding to horizontal rows, and printing an area coverage element geometrically associated with the test chart. Both elements are recorded by an image sensor and evaluated by a computer. The computer identifies print defects by evaluating the area coverage element and allocates the defects to defective nozzles. The computer evaluates the test chart based on thresholds to detect defective nozzles and compensate detected defective nozzles. The computer compares the detected defective nozzles from the area coverage element and the test chart to identify detected defective nozzles causing defects in only one element and calculates the thresholds based thereon to minimize the detected defective nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Steffen Neeb, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Andreas Henn, Andreas Fehlner, Thomas Wolf
  • Publication number: 20200016889
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating for defective print heads in an inkjet printing machine uses a computer to analyze printing nozzle test charts and/or area coverage elements to obtain characteristic values of individual printing nozzles in a print head, to calculate the failure probabilities of these printing nozzles on the basis of thresholds, and to compensate for a printing nozzle that exceeds a specified failure probability. The computer uses the individual failure probabilities of the individual printing nozzles in a print head to calculate the failure probability of the print head and initiates compensation measures as a function of the calculation. The thresholds correspond to a multi-dimensional characteristic value threshold based on which the computer calculates the failure probability of a printing nozzle by using an algorithm including kernel density estimation through a multidimensional distribution function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN, JENS FORCHE, ANDREAS FEHLNER
  • Publication number: 20200009876
    Abstract: A method detects defective printing nozzles in an inkjet printing machine by a computer. The method includes printing a printing nozzle test chart for detection purposes, recording the printing nozzle test chart by use of at least one image sensor, and analyzing the recorded printing nozzle test chart by the computer to identify defective printing nozzles. To create the printing nozzle test chart, every printing nozzle prints a surface, and the computer determines the centroid of every surface to analyze the recorded printing nozzle test chart and for all surfaces compares the actual position of the determined centroid to the respective target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN, JENS FORCHE
  • Publication number: 20190291461
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating defective printing nozzles in an inkjet printing machine includes periodically printing at least one printing nozzle test chart having horizontal rows of equidistant vertical lines underneath one another, with only nozzles contributing to the test chart in every row corresponding to horizontal rows, and printing an area coverage element geometrically associated with the test chart. Both elements are recorded by an image sensor and evaluated by a computer. The computer identifies print defects by evaluating the area coverage element and allocates the defects to defective nozzles. The computer evaluates the test chart based on thresholds to detect defective nozzles and compensate detected defective nozzles. The computer compares the detected defective nozzles from the area coverage element and the test chart to identify detected defective nozzles causing defects in only one element and calculates the thresholds based thereon to minimize the detected defective nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN, ANDREAS FEHLNER, THOMAS WOLF
  • Publication number: 20190291458
    Abstract: A method for compensating for disruption torques in driving a jetting cylinder in an inkjet printing machine includes recording print image products for at least one color and at least one complete rotation of the jetting cylinder by using an image sensor and using a computer for a time parallel measurement of a driving torque of the jetting cylinder, generating an average gray value profile above a circumferential coordinate based on the recorded image data by using the computer, transforming the average gray value profile and the measured profile of the driving torque into a frequency range by using a computer-assisted Fourier transform and extracting order components from the frequency range. A periodic compensation torque is calculated based on the extracted order components, and the calculated periodic compensation torque is factored-in when actuating the jetting cylinder of the inkjet printing machine in the course of a printing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ALEXANDER SENDOBRY
  • Publication number: 20190248153
    Abstract: A method for detecting defective printing nozzles in an inkjet printing machine includes printing a multi-row printing nozzle test chart formed of horizontal rows of equidistant vertical lines periodically underneath one another, with only printing nozzles in a print head contributing to every row of the test chart corresponding to the horizontal rows. An area coverage element geometrically associated with the test chart is printed, both elements are recorded by an image sensor and analyzed by the computer. The computer analyzes the recorded area coverage element to detect print defects and allocates defects to a region of geometrically close printing nozzles. An analysis of the test chart in the region identifies nozzles causing the defect. Defective printing nozzles are detected based on thresholds, the detected printing nozzles are then compensated, and in the analysis of the recorded area coverage element, influences of the sensor are eliminated by shading correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: JOHANNES MUEHL, HANS KOEHLER, ROLAND STENZEL, ANDREAS HENN, MARTIN MAYER, STEFFEN NEEB, FRANK MUTH, JAN KRIEGER, NICKLAR RAYMOND NORRICK, MINA ABOSETTA
  • Patent number: 10328725
    Abstract: A device detects at least one position of at least a part of a printing material while the printing material is transported in a printing machine. The device includes an optical sensor for establishing a distance between a printing machine component and the printing material. The distance established by the optical sensor is temperature-compensated by a computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stefan Knauf, Andreas Henn, Juergen Ritz, Olaf Lorenz, Thomas Schmidt, Stefan Muench, Thomas Goebel, Wolfgang Kabus, Stephanie Weinig-Kress, Stefan Mutschall, Nicklas Raymond Norrick, Steffen Neeb
  • Publication number: 20190160809
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating for defective printing nozzles in an ink jet printing machine by using a computer includes printing printing nozzle test charts next to an actual print in a production run, subsequently recording and digitizing the printed printing nozzle test charts by using at least one image sensor, evaluating recorded test charts and, based thereon, defining characteristic values for all printing nozzles contributing to the printed printing nozzle test charts by using the computer, calculating a failure probability for every contributing printing nozzle based on the determined characteristic values by applying a statistical prediction model using the computer, and switching off and compensating for all printing nozzles exceeding a first defined threshold for the calculated failure probability. A printing operation is then carried out on the ink jet printing machine with printing nozzle compensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, ANDREAS HENN, ANDREAS FEHLNER, THOMAS WOLF, JENS FORCHE
  • Publication number: 20190152219
    Abstract: A method detects defective print nozzles in an inkjet printing machine by a computer. In a first phase within the context of a print job, print nozzle test patterns are printed beside a subject on a printing substrate. These print nozzle test patterns are then digitized by an image sensor and sent to the computer, where they are analyzed by the computer to determine the current state of the print nozzles, including defective print nozzles. After the first phase, the print nozzle test patterns are modified by the computer on the basis of the current state of the print nozzles and, in a second phase, the modified print nozzle test patterns are printed, digitized and evaluated by the computer with regard to the determination of the current state of the print nozzles and defective print nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: ANDREAS FEHLNER, THOMAS WOLF, ANDREAS HENN, STEFFEN NEEB, NICKLAS RAYMOND NORRICK, JENS FORCHE