Dover Europe Sarl

Markem-imaje Corporation

Markem-imaje Industries Limited

Markem Corporation

Simon Starkey

Phillip Lakin

Paul Christopher Roberts

Jonathan Michael Gloag

Jacob Harris

Frances H Benton

Mohammed Jamal Toudmeri

Chris Sullivan

James Cupit

Mark Rapposelli

Peter Carey Landers

Philip Lakin

A method of identifying a component of a system, the component including an RFID tag, and the system including a reader to read a signal transmitted by the RFID tag, the method including: varying an angular position of the component relative to the reader, taking readings of the strength of the signal transmitted by the RFID tag at a plurality of angular positions of the component, storing signal strength values at the plurality of angular positions of the component, and comparing the stored signal strength values versus angular position of the component relative to the reader with expected signal strength values versus angular position of the component relative to the reader to identify whether the component is an expected component.

Identification method

Systems and apparatus relating to motor control (e.g., for thermal transfer printing) include, according to at least one implementation, a motor control system including: a position controller to receive a demanded position (P) input for controlling a motor; a torque controller coupled with the position controller, the torque controller to receive a torque bias (T) input for controlling the motor; and a feedback circuit coupled with the torque controller and the position controller; wherein the feedback circuit is configured and arranged to combine an output from the position controller, the output being generated based on the demanded position (P) input, with the torque bias (T) input to generate a torque demand (T) input to the torque controller.

Motor control system

A motor control system includes a motor having an associated rotary position encoder, and a controller for controlling the operation of the motor, wherein the motor is switchable between a position control mode and a torque control mode.

A method of controlling tension in a tape, wherein the tape is transferable between a first spool and a second spool by a tape drive, the tape drive having a motor control system which includes two DC motors and a controller for controlling the operation of the motors, the tape drive also having two spool supports, each of which is suitable for supporting a spool of tape, and each of which is driven by a respective one of the motors, the method including only one tension setting step during a printing operation.

Tape drive and method of operation of a tape drive

A method of operating a tape drive which includes a pair of tape spool supports, upon one of which a supply spool is mountable and upon a second one of which a take up spool is mountable, each tape spool support being driveable by a respective motor to transfer tape between the spools, the tape drive further including a controller to control each of the motors, wherein the method includes reducing tension in tape extending between the two spools during a period when the tape is substantially stationary.

Tape drive and method of operation

A printing apparatus including a tape drive for transferring a tape carrying a marking medium, and a printhead which is operable to transfer marking medium from such a tape to print an image, the tape drive including a pair of tape spool supports, upon one of which a supply spool is mountable and upon a second one of which a take up spool is mountable, each tape spool support being drivable by a respective motor, the tape drive further including a controller to control each of the motors, wherein the tape drive is operable to position a tape adjacent the printhead such that a spacing between adjacent portions of tape from which ink is removed in successive printing operations is less than 0.5 mm.

Printing apparatus and method of operating a printing apparatus

A tape drive for transferring tape between a first spool and a second spool, the tape comprising at least one marker indicative of a property of the tape, the tape drive having: two spool supports, each of which is suitable for supporting a spool of tape, and a tape control system which includes: two motors and a controller for controlling the operation of the motors, each motor driving a respective one of the spool supports, and a detector that is operable, in use, to detect the presence of one or more markers on a portion of a tape, the tape control system being operable to identify a property of the tape according to the detected marker or markers.

Tape drive and method of operating a tape drive

A printing apparatus including a printhead for transferring ink from a ribbon to a substrate to be printed, a print roller for guiding the substrate to be printed, a peel-off roller for separating the ribbon from the substrate, downstream of the printhead, wherein a peel-off angle is subtended between a portion of ribbon which, when the printing apparatus is in use, extends between the printhead and the peel-off roller and a tangent to the print roller at a contact point on the circumference of the print roller, and a printhead angle is subtended between a part of the printhead which transfers ink from the ribbon to the substrate and a radius of the print roller at the contact point, and wherein the printhead angle is adjustable in accordance with the speed of the ribbon relative to the printing apparatus.

Printing apparatus and method of operation of a printing apparatus

A method of operation of the tape drive, including obtaining the circumferences a supply spool, and a take-up spool, each spool being mounted upon a respective rotatable spool support which is mounted in a housing, the method including rotating the take-up spool support and the supply spool support simultaneously, so as to feed tape from the supply spool into a tape path extending between the spools, and to wind tape on to the take-up spool from the tape path, determining a length of tape fed into the tape path during a measurement period using a sensor assembly, monitoring the angle through which each of the spool supports has rotated during the measurement period, regulating the length of the tape in the tape path, such that the length of the tape in the tape path at the start of the measurement period and the length of the tape in the tape path at the end of the measurement period are substantially the same, and using knowledge of the length of tape fed into the tape path during the measurement period and the angle through which each of the spool supports rotated during the measurement period to obtain the circumferences of the supply spool and the take-up spool.

A method for configuring a marking device includes, at a control system, establishing communication with the marking device; receiving, from the marking device, information about capabilities of the marking device; presenting the received information about capabilities of the marking device to a user; receiving, from the user, instructions to set machine settings for the marking device; and causing the marking device to be configured according to the instructions received from the user.

Dynamic marking system

A method and associated software and a system for automatic package marking makes use of specification of an image for a package. The specification includes specifications of data fields for marking on a package. Data values for the data fields are received from multiple data sources. Images are formed based on the received data values and the specification of the image.

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Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Simon Starkey