Advanced media determination system for inkjet printing

A method of classifying incoming media entering a printing mechanism, the method comprising:

• optically scanning a portion of the incoming media;
• collecting raw data during the scanning step;
• massaging the raw data;
• determining a major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• determining a specific type of media within the major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• verifying the specific type of media corresponds to the incoming media;
• selecting a print mode in response to the verifying step;
• a printing an image on the incoming media using the selected print mode, and wherein the collecting raw data further includes illuminating a light source;
• adjusting a brightness level of the illuminated light source;
• thereafter, moving the light source across the incoming media;
• spatially sampling diffuse reflectance values and specular reflectance values during the moving step;
• storing the sampled diffuse reflectance values and specular reflectance values as stored values;
• and discarding erroneous diffuse reflectance values and specular reflectance values from said stored values.

A method of classifying incoming media entering a printing mechanism, the method comprising:

• optically scanning a portion of the incoming media;
• collecting raw data during the scanning step;
• massaging the raw data;
• determining a major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• determining a specific type of media within the major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• verifying the specific type of media corresponds to the incoming media;
• selecting a print mode in response to the verifying step;
• printing an image on the incoming media using the selected print mode, and wherein the massaging further includes generating a diffuse reflectance graph from the diffuse reflectance data;
• generating a specular reflectance graph from the specular reflectance data;
• generating spatial frequencies of the diffuse reflectance data from the diffuse reflectance graph;
• and generating spatial frequencies of the specular reflectance data from the specular reflectance graph.

A method of classifying incoming media entering a printing mechanism, the method comprising:

• optically scanning a portion of the incoming media;
• collecting raw data during the scanning step;
• massaging the raw data;
• determining a major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• determining a specific type of media within the major category corresponding to the incoming media;
• verifying the specific type of media corresponds to the incoming media;
• selecting a print mode in response to the verifying step;
• printing an image on the incoming media using the selected print mode, and wherein the optically scanning further includes illuminating the incoming media with a blue-violet light having a peak wavelength of about 428 nanometers, and a dominant wave length of about 464 nanometers.

A method of classifying incoming media entering a printing mechanism, the method comprising:

• optically scanning a portion of the incoming media to generate diffuse reflectance data and specular reflectance data;
• determining the spatial frequencies of the diffuse reflectance data and the specular reflectance data;
• sorting the incoming media into one of plural major media category groups;
• and
• matching the incoming media with a specific media type or a default media type both within said one of plural major media category groups.

An optical sensing system for an inkjet printing mechanism having a printzone, comprising:

• a single illuminating element directed to illuminate incoming media entering the printzone;
• a diffuse sensor which receives diffuse light reflected from an element-illuminated media and generates a diffuse signal having an amplitude proportional to diffuse reflectance of the element-illuminated media;
• and
• a specular sensor which receives specular light reflected from the element-illuminated media and generates a specular signal having an amplitude proportional to specular reflectance of the element-media, wherein the illuminating element emits a blue-violet light having a wavelength selected from an approximate range of 340-500 nanometers, wherein the illuminating element emits a blue-violet light having a dominant wave length of about 464 nanometers.

An inkjet printing mechanism, including a printzone, comprising:

• a carriage that reciprocates an inkjet printhead along a scanning axis across the printzone to selectively deposit ink droplets on media in response to a print signal generated to print a selected image on incoming media entering the printzone;
• a media sensor supported by the carriage for scanning across the printzone, with the media sensor including (1) a single illuminating element directed to illuminate incoming media, (2) a diffuse sensor which receives diffuse light reflected from a so illuminated media and generates a diffuse signal having an amplitude proportional to diffuse reflectance of the illuminated media, and (3) a specular sensor which receives specular light reflected from the illuminated media and generates a specular signal having an amplitude proportional to specular reflectance of the illuminated media;
• and
• a controller which compares the diffuse signal and the specular signal to a set of reference values and therefrom determines type of the illuminated media and generates a print signal having a print mode selected to match the type of media entering the printzone, wherein the illuminating element emits a blue-violet light at wavelengths between 340-500 nanometers and having a peak wavelength of about 428 nanometers and a dominant wave length of about 464 nanometers.