# US 2025/0102989 A1 · Determination device and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2025/0102989 A1
- Document ID: US20250102989A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/434,855
- Filed: 2024-02-07
- Published: 2025-03-27
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-26
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
- Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
- Inventors: Kouhei YUKAWA; Yoshinori SHIRAKAWA; Torahiko KANDA; Kazuhiro HAYASHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250102989A1

## CPC

- G03G 15/5029: {by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness}
- G03G 15/70: {Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams}
- G01N 21/534: {by measuring transmission alone, i.e. determining opacity}
- G01N 29/223: {Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation (mounting transducers per se G10K11/004)}
- G01N 29/4409: {by comparison}
- G03G 15/6588: {characterised by the copy material, e.g. postcards, large copies, multi-layered materials, coloured sheet material}
- G01N 2021/1748: {Comparative step being essential in the method}
- G01N 2021/8663: {Paper, e.g. gloss, moisture content}
- G01N 2291/0237: Thin materials, e.g. paper, membranes, thin films
- G03G 2215/00324: Document property detectors
- G03G 2215/00611: Detector details, e.g. optical detector
- G03G 2215/00616: Optical detector
- G03G 2215/00637: Acoustic detector
- G03G 2215/00717: Detection of physical properties
- G03G 2215/00751: of sheet type, e.g. OHP
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A determination device includes a processor that is used for determining first paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed, a light source that irradiates a surface of paper with light, a light detector that receives the light transmitted through the paper and that detects a light transmittance, an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the surface of the paper, and an ultrasonic receiver that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects an ultrasonic transmittance, in which the processor is configured to: use an index that is stored in advance in a storage device and that indicates a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in the second paper, and determine whether or not the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to whether or not the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance, which are detected from the paper, are apart from the index by a predetermined threshold value or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A determination device comprising:
a processor that is used for determining first paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed;
a light source that irradiates a surface of paper with light;
a light detector that receives the light transmitted through the paper and that detects a light transmittance;
an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the surface of the paper; and
an ultrasonic receiver that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects an ultrasonic transmittance,
wherein the processor is configured to:
use an index that is stored in advance in a storage device and that indicates a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in the second paper; and
determine whether or not the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to whether or not the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance, which are detected from the paper, are apart from the index by a predetermined threshold value or more.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the index is a relational expression indicating a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in a plurality of types of the second paper.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The determination device according to claim 1,
wherein the index is a reference value based on a ratio of the light transmittance to the ultrasonic transmittance in each of a plurality of types of the second paper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 3.

### Claim 7

A determination device comprising:
a processor that is used for determining first paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed;
a first electromagnetic wave transmitter that transmits a first electromagnetic wave to a surface of paper;
a first electromagnetic wave receiver that receives the first electromagnetic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects a first electromagnetic wave transmittance;
a second electromagnetic wave transmitter that transmits a second electromagnetic wave having a longer wavelength and a higher transmission power to the paper than the first electromagnetic wave to the surface of the paper; and
a second electromagnetic wave receiver that receives the second electromagnetic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects a second electromagnetic wave transmittance,
wherein the processor is configured to:
use an index that is stored in advance in a storage device and that indicates a correlation between the first electromagnetic wave transmittance and the second electromagnetic wave transmittance in the second paper; and
determine whether or not the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to whether the first electromagnetic wave transmittance and the second electromagnetic wave transmittance, which are detected from the paper, are apart from the index by a predetermined threshold value or more.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The determination device according to claim 7,
wherein the index is a relational expression indicating a correlation between the first electromagnetic wave transmittance and the second electromagnetic wave transmittance in a plurality of types of the second paper.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The determination device according to claim 7,
wherein the index is a reference value based on a ratio of the first electromagnetic wave transmittance to the second electromagnetic wave transmittance in each of a plurality of types of the second paper.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 7.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 8.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the determination device according to claim 9.

### Claim 13

A determination device comprising:
a processor that is used for determining first paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed;
a light source that irradiates a surface of paper with light;
a light detector that receives the light transmitted through the paper and that detects a light transmittance;
an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the surface of the paper; and
an ultrasonic receiver that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects an ultrasonic transmittance,
wherein the processor includes
means for using an index that is stored in advance in a storage device and that indicates a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in the second paper; and
means for determining whether or not the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to whether or not the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance, which are detected from the paper, are apart from the index by a predetermined threshold value or more.