Detecting An Encoder Material Reading Error

A system for detecting an encoder material reading error, said system comprising:

• a sensor;
• an encoder material having a plurality of markers positioned at substantially fixed intervals along the encoder material, wherein the sensor is positioned to read the markers on the encoder material to determine the position of the sensor as at least one of the sensor and the encoder material is slewed with respect to each other;
• a motor configured to slew at least one of the sensor and the encoder material with respect to each other;
• and
• a controller configured to control the motor and to analyze the markers read by the sensor to obtain position vs. time data of the sensor with respect to the encoder material, to determine whether a speed at which at least one of the sensor and the encoder material travels fell below a predetermined threshold, and to determine that an encoder material reading error has occurred in response to a determination that the speed fell below the predetermined threshold.

A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method of detecting an encoder material reading error, said set of instructions comprising:

• slewing at least one of a sensor and an encoder material with respect to each other, wherein the encoder material has markers positioned at substantially fixed intervals;
• detecting the markers with the sensor as at least one of the sensor and the encoder material is slewed with respect to each other to obtain position vs. time data of the sensor with respect to the encoder material;
• analyzing the position vs. time data to determine whether a speed at which at least one of the sensor and the encoder material travels with respect to each other fell below a predetermined threshold;
• and
• determining that an encoder material reading error occurred in response to a determination that the speed fell below the predetermined threshold.