Multi-function monitoring module for a printer
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsTako K.A.M. Bronswijk, Karianne H. Lindenhovius, Wilhelmus A.G. Timmers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a module for monitoring the print quality of a dot printer (10), comprising a radiation source (41), a condenser lens system (43′) for forming an illuminated area (45) on a printing medium (13) and an imaging lens system (87, 89) for imaging the illuminated area on a detector (49′), the detector comprises at least a linear array of detector elements and the imaging system is configured in such a way that both the illuminated area and a small portion thereof can be imaged. This allows detection of both the gray scale of a print line (35) and the size and colour of an individual dot. A dot printer provided with this modules gives an improved print quality.
Claims22
A module for monitoring the print quality of a dot printer, which monitor is to be fixed to a carriage for moving a printing device of the printer, said module comprising:
- an illumination system for supplying a monitoring radiation beam to illuminate an area of a printing medium;
- an imaging system for collecting monitoring radiation reflected by the illuminated area and forming an image in an image plane, and
- a radiation-sensitive detection system for converting said image into electric signals representing quality parameters of the print,
- characterized in that the detection system comprises at least a linear array of discrete detector elements, and in that means are provided for imaging, in the plane of the detector elements, both a medium area of a first kind, comprising a number of printed dots, and a medium area of a second kind, comprising one printed dot.
A method of printing information in the form of dots on a printing medium, comprising the steps of:
- supplying the information to be printed to a dot printer;
- printing a test pattern on the medium;
- optically detecting the test pattern;
- comparing the test pattern with a reference;
- adapting printer settings if a, deviation between the test pattern and the reference is detected, and
- printing the information supplied to the printer,
- characterized in that the step of detecting the test pattern comprises detecting the gray scale of a test print line and detecting the size of at least one individual test dot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.