RU2775512C2 - Marking system for marking of marking object - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: marking.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to the field of object marking. A marking system for marking of a marking object includes a marking device for placing marking on the marking object, a registration device for registering identification information associated with the marking object, and a control device for controlling the marking device, wherein the control device is made with the possibility of authentication of identification information registered by the registration device and control of the marking device, depending on authentication.

EFFECT: invention is aimed at an increase in the reliability of marking of permissible marking objects.

10 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a marking system for marking a marking object according to the preamble of paragraph 1 of the claims and to a method for operating the marking system.

Such a marking system includes a marking device for placing a marking on a marking object.

This type of marking system is used, in particular, for the production of marking objects in the form of inscribed marking plates. Such labels can be made of metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum, or plastic and, for example, be provided with a permanent inscription by means of a laser, inkjet printing or thermal transfer printing. Such labels can be marked, for example, on electrical (or other) cables or electrical assemblies such as terminal strips, in order to thus provide identification to the cables or electrical assemblies.

Typically, the marking objects to be inscribed are fed into the marking system, for example a laser inscription system, by supplying a plurality of marking objects, for example six marking objects, on a carrier, for example in the form of a liner-denoted film, to the marking system. A mark, for example in the form of a barcode, may be placed on the carrier, which may be registered by the marking system in order to set operating parameters of the marking system based on the mark, for example, operating parameters for the laser device of the marking system.

Since such a carrier, after inscription of the marking objects, has no function other than the function of supporting the inscribed marking objects, and increases the cost of the inscribed marking objects, it is in principle desirable to dispense with such a carrier. However, it must be ensured that the marking system also correctly labels the marking objects supplied to it and processes only those marking objects that can (in an acceptable manner) be processed by the marking system. In particular, for a marking system in the form of a laser inscription system, it must be ensured that no (excessive) emissions, for example emission of particles, occur due to the use of incorrect operating parameters.

With the marking system known from WO 2012/065816 A1 in the form of a laser inscription unit, the marking objects can be delivered to the region of the reference surface for inscription by means of a turntable using a laser beam.

DE 10 2010 037 564 A1 describes a printed object and a printer for printing the printed object. The printed object is provided with a mark in the form of a barcode with a plurality of individual strokes arranged one after the other, with which an optimal printing for the printed object can be ensured.

EP 2 193 031 B1 describes a marking object which has an object holder and marking areas of the object held by the object holder. The object holder includes at least one identification means which contains data related to the marking object.

The object of the present invention is to provide a marking system for marking a marking object and a method for operating the marking system which makes it possible to reliably mark valid marking objects and to avoid the carrier as much as possible.

This problem is solved using the subject matter of the invention with the features of paragraph 1 of the claims.

Accordingly, the marking system includes a registration device for registering identification information associated with the marking object and a control device for controlling the marking device, wherein the control device is configured to authenticate the identification information registered by the registration device and control the marking device depending on the authentication.

The registration device serves to register identification information that is associated with the marking object. Then, on the basis of the registered identification information, an authentication is carried out, during which it is established whether the marking object is a valid marking object that can be inscribed by the marking system. Before the marking process is carried out, an authentication of the marking object to be written takes place in this way, so that it can be ruled out that the marking objects are inscribed in an unacceptable manner in the marking system.

Thus, depending on the authentication, the marking device of the marking system can be controlled in different ways, in order to carry out the marking process in the necessary manner upon successful authentication, and, if authentication fails, not start the marking process at all or perform it with changed (compared to the proper marking) operating parameters.

The marking object can be, for example, a flat marking plate which is (wholly or partly) made of a metallic material, such as stainless steel or aluminium, a plastic material or a ceramic or glass material. Such labels may be provided separately and stored, for example, in a container, such as a packaging box made of cardboard or the like, or in the stack of the labeling device.

Such labels can also be, for example, coated.

Authentication of the registered identification information is carried out, for example, by comparison with actual identifiers, which are stored as such, for example, in the memory of the marking system. For comparison, the control device compares the registered identification information with the identifiers stored as valid in the storage device for the purpose of authentication. If it is determined that the registered identity information matches the valid identity, then the authentication is successful. If, on the other hand, the registered identity information is not found to match the identity stored as valid in the storage device, the authentication is not successful.

Storing valid identifiers in the memory of the marking system has the advantage that authentication can also be carried out without the marking system being in a communication connection with external systems, so that the marking system can work autonomously ("offline").

Alternatively, it is also possible that the comparison of the registered identification information with the actual identifiers is carried out because the marking system communicates via a suitable communication connection, for example via a network connection using Internet access, with an external authentication unit, for example at the place where the marking system is manufactured. or marking objects, in order to authenticate the registered identification information. In this case, the actual identifiers are not stored in the marking system itself, but are available on the side of the authentication unit, so that authentication is carried out by means of a message with the external authentication unit.

Authentication can be carried out if necessary in two stages. Thus, in a first step, it can be checked whether the registered identification information is in general valid identification information, that is, for example, identification information with a predefined format that can be attributed to a predefined manufacturer. If it is determined that the identification information does not have a valid format, then the authentication may already fail. In the second step, it can then (if the first step is completed successfully) check whether the fundamentally valid identification information is (still) valid. Thus, it can be provided in principle that identification information in the form of, for example, the serial number of the marking object can only be used once. If a serial number has already been used as part of the marking process and marking objects have already been marked with a certain serial number, then a further marking process with the same serial number can, if necessary, be terminated.

Accordingly, it can be provided that the valid ID stored in the memory is set to invalid if it is found within the framework of authentication by comparison with the registered identification information that the stored ID corresponds to the registered identification information. Due to the fact that a valid (previously) identifier is now set as invalid, it is ensured that the identification information corresponding to this identifier can only be used once, re-registration of the same identification information thus leads to unsuccessful authentication.

The identification information may also store data on the operating parameters to be used in the process of marking the marking object, or based on the registration of the identification information, the marking device may be controlled to use certain operating parameters. By means of the identification information, for example, the type (dimensions and material) of the marking object can be identified, so that the marking device is controlled with suitable parameters for inscribing the marking object. The operating parameters may include, for example, the intensity of the laser beam and/or the speed of the laser beam when marking. For different materials of different marking objects, for example, different laser beam intensities can be used with a marking system in the form of a laser writing system.

Depending on the result of the authentication, the control device may start the marking device, for example, according to different operating modes. Thus, the first mode of operation may correspond to a proper labeling process upon successful authentication, in which the labeling device properly labels the labeled object to be written using predetermined operating parameters. The second mode of operation may differ from the first mode of operation and is performed if the authentication is not successful. Within the framework of the second mode of operation, the marking device may, for example, not be started at all to place the marking on the marking object, or the marking process is carried out, but with changed operating parameters compared to the first mode of operation, for example, with a significantly reduced marking speed and / or intensity laser beam (with a marking system in the form of a laser inscription system).

Thus, depending on the authentication, proper marking of the inscribed token object is performed or not. If the authentication is successful, it is guaranteed that the token object is a valid token object that is inscribed by the marking system, whose properties (e.g. dimensions and material) are known and for which marking can thus be carried out with the appropriate token object-specific operating parameters. If, on the other hand, the authentication is not successful, then no marking is performed at all, or marking is carried out, but with significantly changed operating parameters, so that in particular undesired outliers are effectively prevented during marking.

The marking object to be written can be supplied, for example, by the manufacturer in a container, for example in the form of a packing box made of cardboard or the like, together with other marking objects. On such a container, a label can be placed that is consistent with the marking object and contains identification information. The identification information contained in the label is entered into the labeling system or registered by the labeling system and then authenticated by the control device, so that before the labeling process is carried out, it is established whether the labeling objects contained in the container can be labeled by the labeling system and which operating parameters should be used for this if necessary.

The identification information may be indicated, for example, in the form of an article number and a serial number as such on the container. However, it is also possible that the identification information is placed in an encrypted form on the container or is in another form, so that the user does not get a (direct) understanding of the identification information as such. Thus, identification information may contain, for example, an article number and a serial number, which, however, are not indicated as such in clear text, for example, on a container, but are encrypted by a suitable encryption method (for example, using RSA technology) using (known to the marking system) key. The identification information is thus registered in encrypted form and decrypted in the marking system (using a key known to it) in order to authenticate the registered identification information after decryption.

In an embodiment, the registration device is formed by a scanner for scanning identification information. Such a scanning device can, for example, be configured to scan a bar code, a QR code or an RFID tag, in order to thus read identification information by means of a bar code, a QR code or an RFID tag.

However, alternatively, the registration device may also be formed by a keypad for manually entering identification information. In this case, the user enters identification information, which he reads, for example, from a container that contains one or more marking objects, via a keypad into the marking system.

In yet another embodiment, the identification information can also be read out, for example, by means of a so-called batch import into the marking system, i.e. by means of IT-sequential reading of a series of identification data for marking objects to be written one after the other.

The marking device is preferably equipped with a laser device which has a laser for generating a laser beam for inscribing the marking object. The marking system is thus a laser inscription system in which a marking is placed in the form of text and/or graphic elements on a marking object, for example a marking plate made of metal or plastic.

However, it is also possible and possible for the marking system to be designed for inscription of the marking object by means of inkjet printing or thermal transfer printing. The marking device can be equipped for this with an ink jet printer or a thermal transfer printer.

The problem is also solved by means of a method for operating a marking system for marking a marking object. In the method, the marking is placed using a marking device on the marking object. It is provided that the registration device registers the identification information associated with the marking object, and the control device authenticates the identification information registered by the registration device and controls the marking device depending on the authentication.

The advantages and preferred embodiments described above for the marking system also apply to the method, so reference must be made to the above.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained further in more detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. The drawing shows:

fig. 1 is a schematic view of the marking system;

fig. 2 is a schematic view of a container with a label placed on it, which contains identification information;

fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the execution sequence of the marking process;

fig. 4 is a schematic view of the functional design of the marking system;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of the marking object in the form of a marking plate; and

fig. 6 is a schematic view of the location of marking objects placed on the carrier in the form of marking plates.

Schematically shown in Fig. 1, the marking system 1 is used for labeling marking objects 2, which can be present, for example, in the form of marking plates. The marking system 1 is designed in the illustrated embodiment as a laser inscription system and can, for example, process marking objects 2 in the form of marking plates made of metal, for example stainless steel or aluminum, or made of plastic.

As shown in the schematic view of FIG. 4, the marking system 1 has a marking device 13 with a laser device 130 for generating a laser beam L, with which marking objects 2 can be provided with an inscription 20 containing, for example, text or graphic elements, as shown in FIG. 5. The marking objects 2 are supplied for this from the magazine 14 individually in order to be inscribed by the marking device 13 using the laser beam L.

The marking device 13 is controlled by the control device 10 . The memory device 11 may store, for example, operating parameters for controlling the marking device 13, and the communication device 12 may provide a message to the external communication unit H. The display device 17 can output data.

With a conventional marking system, the marking of the marking objects 2 is carried out by feeding the marking objects 2 on the carrier 4 in the form of a lining formed by the film in a coherent manner to the marking device in order to write the marking objects 2 in one working operation, as shown as example in Fig. 6. By means of the label 40 placed on the carrier 4, for example in the form of a barcode, the operating parameters to be applied for the marking of the marking objects 2 can be identified, so that the marking of the marking objects 2 can be carried out in a controlled manner.

Carrier 4, which is shown in FIG. 6, after the inscription has no function. On the contrary, after inscription, the marking objects 2 are removed from the carrier 4 and supplied for their actual proper use, in order to mark, for example, an electrical device or the like. Therefore, it may be desirable to dispense with such a carrier 4, which may entail in particular cost advantages.

In contrast to the identification of inscribed marking objects 2 by means of a label placed on the carrier, shown in FIG. 1 and 4, the marking system 1 is to process the marking objects 2, which are supplied in separate form, for example in a container 3 in the form of a package, as shown in FIG. 2 and are used by the user of the marking system 1. To identify and in particular to authenticate the marking objects 2, identification information 300 is used, which is placed by means of a label 30 on the container 3 and can be read by the registration device in the form of a scanning device 15 or manually entered by the user using keypad 16 (see Fig. 1). Based on the identification information 300, the marking system 1 is controlled to perform a marking process to place an inscription on the corresponding marking object 2.

The sequence of the marking process is shown in this case, for example, in FIG. 3. So first (step 100) a print job is created, for example with suitable software, and sent to the marking system 1, as is also the case with conventional printing processes. In the next step 101, the user is prompted, for example, for an individual serial number, which is matched to the marking object 2 to be written and is indicated, for example, in the form of identification information 300 on the packaging 3 of the marking object 2, to be entered using the keypad 16 or read using the scanning device 15 .

On the basis of the identification information 300 registered in this way, the control device 10 of the marking system 1 then checks whether the registered identification information 300 is authentic, for example by checking whether the entered identification information 300 has a generally known predetermined format and is such a valid suitable identification information (step 102).

If this first authentication step is successful, the second authentication step checks if the registered identity 300 matches a valid identity. To this end, the control device 10 compares the registered identification information 300 with valid identifiers stored, for example, in the storage device 11, due to the fact that the control device 10 compares the registered identification information 300 with the stored identifiers and, if there is an identifier corresponding to the registered identification information 300, identifies identification information 300 as valid. The marking process can thus be carried out appropriately with a high printing performance, for example at the maximum marking speed (step 104), and in addition, the operating parameters of the marking device 13, for example, the intensity of the laser radiation, can be set appropriately, depending on the identified identification information 300 and the identified thus the marking object 2 (eg depending on the material of the marking object 2).

Now, at step 106, the identifier corresponding to the registered identification information 300 stored in the storage device 11 is set as invalid in order to prevent that the same identification information 300 may be used again. If the same identity 300 is registered again, this results in a slow authentication.

If the authentication in the first step 102 or the second step 103 is not successful, it is possible that the marking process does not start at all, the marking object 2 is thus not inscribed.

However, it is also alternatively possible, as shown in FIG. 3 that the marking process is nevertheless carried out, but with different operating parameters and consequently reduced printing performance, for example, with reduced marking speed (for example, from 1/100 of the speed compared to successful authentication) and/or reduced laser power (with laser device). Inscription thus takes place, but at a reduced speed and, if necessary, also with other operating parameters, for example with a reduced intensity of the used laser beam L. In this way, inscription can also be carried out with unidentified and incorrectly authenticated marking objects 2, where, however, undesirable emissions, such as particle emission.

The identification information 300 may be in plain text, for example, or it may be encoded in a barcode, QR code, RFID tag, shaped insignia or logo, or embossing. Accordingly, the scanning device 15 can be configured to read barcode, QR code or RFID tag data, for example.

The identification information 300 contained in the tag 30 may in this case be encrypted. If the label 30 contains, for example, plaintext, then this plaintext may not indicate the actual identification information 300 identifying the marking object 2 (for example, an article number or serial number), but may contain identification information 300 in encrypted form. In this case, the control device 10 is configured to decrypt the registered identification information 300 using a key known to it (which was also used to encrypt the identification information 300 contained in the tag 30) in order to authenticate to the marking system 1 based on the received from label 30, decrypted identification information 300.

For encryption, for example, the so-called RSA technology can be used, in which the identification information 300 contained in the label 30 is encrypted by using the first (public) key on the supplier side of the marking objects 2 contained in the container 3 during the manufacture of the label 30. The marking system 1 knows the first ( public) key and also has a second (private) key, which are shared for decryption, so that the identification data 300 obtained from the tag 30 can be decrypted and processed in the marking system 1 for the purpose of authentication.

Authentication can in principle, as explained above, be carried out via valid identifiers stored in the storage device 11 . In this case, the marking system 1 can be operated autonomously, without a communication connection, such as a network connection, being necessary during operation with the external units H.

However, it is also conceivable and possible that the authentication is carried out (by the image control device 10) because the marking system 1 communicates via the communication device 12 with the external unit H, which knows the actual identifiers and, on the basis of the data transmitted by the marking system 1, performs authentication by comparing the registered identification information 300 with valid identifiers.

The idea underlying the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can also be implemented in a completely different way.

The marking system can be used to label a wide variety of marking objects, such as marking objects made of metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum, or plastic. Such marking objects can then be placed in an inscribed manner, for example, on an electrical device, such as a cable, terminal block or electrical device, in order to identify the electrical device and indicate indications of, for example, the function of the electrical device.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1 marking system

10 control device

100-106 steps

11 storage device

12 communication device

13 marking device

130 laser device

14 drive

15 scanner

16 keypad

17 display device (display)

2 marking object (plate)

20 marking

3 container (packing)

30 label

300 identification information

4 carrier (lining)

40 mark

H communication partner

L laser beam

Claims (10)

1. Marking system (1) for marking a marking object (2), including a marking device (13) for placing a marking (20) on a marking object (2), wherein a registration device (15, 16) is provided for registering an associated marking an identification information object (2) (300) and a control device (10) for controlling the marking device (13), wherein the control device (10) is configured to authenticate the identification information (300) registered by the registration device (15, 16) and control the marking device (13) depending on the authentication, wherein the control device (10) is configured to start the marking device (13) in the first mode of operation to place the marking (20) on the marking object (2) if the authentication is successful and in a different mode from the first operation of the second operating mode, if the authentication is not successful, and the control device (10) is made possible the possibility of starting the marking device (13) in the second mode of operation in such a way that the marking (20) is placed on the marking object (2), however, with at least one operating parameter of the marking device (13) different from the first mode of operation, characterized in that that the identification information (300) is contained in the label (30) on the container (3) coordinated with the marking object (2), the registration device being formed by a scanning device (15) for scanning the identification information (300). 2. Marking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the marking object (2) is a marking plate which has a metal material or a plastic material. 3. Marking system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a memory device (11) is provided, in which a plurality of valid identifiers are stored, and the control device (10) is configured to authenticate the registration device (15, 16) registered identification information (300) using valid identifiers stored in the storage device (11). 4. The marking system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the control device (10) is configured to set as invalid such a valid identifier from the valid identifiers stored in the memory (11) corresponding to the registered identification information (300). 5. Marking system (1) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that the control device (10) is configured to communicate via a communication connection with an external authentication unit (H) to authenticate the identification information registered by the registration device (15, 16) (300). 6. Marking system (1) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that the control device (10) is configured to set at least one operating parameter of the marking device (13) based on the registered identification information (300). 7. The marking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification information (300) registered by the registration device (15, 16) associated with the marking object (2) is encrypted, and the control device (10) is configured to decrypt the registered identification information (300) before authentication. 8. Marking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the registration device is formed by a keypad (16) for manual entry of identification information (300). 9. Marking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the marking device (13) has a laser device (130), an inkjet printer or a thermal transfer device for placing the marking (20) on the marking object (2). 10. A method of operating the marking system (1) for marking the marking object (2), in which the marking (20) is placed using the marking device (13) on the marking object (2), characterized in that the registration device (15, 16) registers identification information (300) associated with the marking object (2), and the control device (10) authenticates the identification information (300) registered by the registration device (15, 16) and controls the marking device (13) depending on the authentication, and the device (10) control starts the marking device (13) in the first mode of operation to place the marking (20) on the marking object (2) if the authentication is successful, and in a second mode of operation different from the first mode of operation if the authentication is not successful, and in the second mode of operation it is not marking (20) is applied to the marking object (2) or the marking device (13) in the second mode of operation is started in this way in such a way that the marking (20) is placed on the marking object (2), however, with at least one operating parameter of the marking device (13) different from the first operating mode.

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