Media identification system with sensor array
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsThomas D. Pawlik, Yang Shi, David J. Giacherio, John S. Badger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing system includes a media input location for storing a recording medium prior to transport within the printing system for subsequent printing; a light source directed toward an extended region of the media input location; an array of photosensors restricted to only a substantially perpendicular movement relative to a plane of the media input location; and an optical path including a first optical path section from the light source to the extended region of the media input location and a second optical path section from the extended region of the media input location to the array of photosensors.
Claims20
A printing system comprising:
- a media input location for storing a recording medium prior to transport within the printing system for subsequent printing;
- a light source directed toward an extended region of the media input location;
- an array of photosensors restricted to only a substantially perpendicular movement relative to a plane of the media input location;
- and
- an optical path including a first optical path section from the light source to the extended region of the media input location and a second optical path section from the extended region of the media input location to the array of photosensors.
A method for identifying a type of recording medium within a printing system, the method comprising:
- providing a media input location for storing a recording medium prior to transport within the printing system for subsequent printing;
- providing a light source;
- providing an array of photosensors restricted to only a substantially perpendicular movement relative to a plane of the media input location;
- providing an optical path including a first optical path section from the light source to the extended region of the media input location and a second optical path section from the extended region of the media input location to the array of photosensors;
- providing a printing system controller including a table of data corresponding to spatially varying optical patterns for a plurality of recording media types;
- directing light from the light source toward an extended region of the media input location;
- receiving light from the light source by a plurality of photosensors of the array of photosensors, the light having been reflected from extended region of the media input location to produce an electronic signal in each of the plurality of photosensors;
- transmitting the electronic signals to the printing system controller to provide data corresponding to a spatially varying pattern;
- and
- comparing the data corresponding the spatially varying pattern to the table of data, thereby identifying the type of recording medium that is stored in the media input location of the printing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.