Medium discrimination device, image forming apparatus, and program having simplified mechanism

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyance route on which a printing medium is conveyed one by one after being separated from a plurality of printing mediums and brought out of a storage in which the printing mediums are overlaid;
• and
• a medium discrimination device,
• wherein said medium discrimination device includes
• a transmitted light quantity measurement device configured to measure a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and configured to perform a measurement of the transmitted light quantity each time the printing medium is conveyed,
• a measurement value memory device configured to store a result of the measurement performed by the transmitted light quantity measurement device,
• a medium setting device configured to previously set a type of medium to be used,
• a medium information memory device configured to store information of a transmitted light quantity assigned for each printing medium to be set by the medium setting device, and
• a control processing unit configured to perform paper type detection on a first printing medium, and double feed detection on following printing mediums.

A printing medium discrimination device, comprising:

• a transmitted light quantity measurement device configured to measure a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and configured to perform a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is conveyed;
• a measurement value memory device configured to store a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the transmitted light quantity measurement device;
• a medium information memory device configured to store information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• a control processing unit configured to selectively perform paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured by the transmitted light quantity measurement device and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the medium information memory device and the transmitted light quantity stored by the measurement value memory device, and to selectively perform the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

A printing medium feeding device, comprising:

• a storage configured to store a printing medium;
• a device configured to bring out the printing medium in the storage;
• and
• a medium discrimination device,
• wherein said medium discrimination device includes
• a transmitted light quantity measurement device configured to measure a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and configured to perform a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is conveyed,
• a measurement value memory device configured to store a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the transmitted light quantity measurement device,
• a medium information memory device configured to store information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use, and
• a control processing unit configured to selectively perform paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured by the transmitted light quantity measurement device and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the medium information memory device and the transmitted light quantity stored by the measurement value memory device, and to selectively perform the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a medium discrimination device
• wherein said medium discrimination device includes
• a transmitted light quantity measurement device arranged to measure a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and configured to perform a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is conveyed,
• a measurement value memory device storing a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the transmitted light quantity measurement device,
• a medium information memory device storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use, and
• a control processing unit configured to selectively perform paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured by the transmitted light quantity measurement device and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the medium information memory device and the transmitted light quantity stored by the measurement value memory device, and to selectively perform the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

A printing medium discrimination method, comprising the steps of:

• measuring a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route when the printing medium is conveyed;
• storing a measurement value being a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity;
• storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• selectively performing paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the step of storing information of the transmitted light quantity and the transmitted light quantity stored in the step of storing the measurement value, and selectively performing the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

A printing medium discrimination device comprising:

• means for measuring a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and for performing a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is conveyed;
• means for storing a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the means for measuring;
• means for previously setting a type of printing medium to be used;
• means for storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use by the means for previously setting;
• and
• means for performing paper type detection on a first printing medium, and double feed detection on following printing mediums.

A printing medium discrimination device, comprising:

• means for measuring a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, and for performing a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is conveyed;
• means for storing a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the means for measuring;
• means for storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• means for performing paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured by the means for measuring and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the medium previously set in the means for storing information and the transmitted light quantity stored by the means for storing a result, and for selectively performing the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

A printing medium discrimination device, comprising:

• a transmitted light quantity measurement device configured to measure a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route, disposed in vicinity of a registration device where a plurality of conveyance routes meet, and configured to perform a measurement of the transmitted light quantity when the printing medium is temporarily stopped by the registration device;
• a measurement value memory device configured to store a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed by the transmitted light quantity measurement device;
• a medium information memory device configured to store information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• a control processing unit configured to selectively perform paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured by the transmitted light quantity measurement device and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the medium information memory device and the transmitted light quantity stored by the measurement value memory device.

A computer readable recording medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

• measuring a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route when the printing medium is conveyed;
• storing a measurement value being a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity;
• storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• selectively performing paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the step of storing information of the transmitted light quantity and the transmitted light quantity stored in the step of storing the measurement value, and selectively performing the paper type detection and the double feed detection according to predetermined timing.

A printing medium discrimination method, comprising the steps of:

• measuring a transmitted light quantity in a thickness direction of a printing medium on a conveyance route when the printing medium is temporarily stopped by a registration device;
• storing a measurement value being a result of the measurement of the transmitted light quantity performed in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity;
• storing information of a transmitted light quantity in accordance with a printing medium previously set for use;
• and
• selectively performing paper type detection and double feed detection based on a result of a comparison between the transmitted light quantity measured in the step of measuring the transmitted light quantity and selected one of the transmitted light quantity corresponding to the printing medium previously set in the step of storing information of the transmitted light quantity and the transmitted light quantity stored in the step of storing the measurement value.