US 7,621,615 B2 · Print medium identifying device, printing apparatus, and print medium identifying method

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a print medium identifying device that can accurately detect various print media. Thus, according to the present invention, a light emitting section (LED) irradiates a surface of a print medium P with ultraviolet light and different light of a longer wave. A light receiving section (regular-reflection photo sensor and diffusive-reflection photo sensor) receives the light reflected by the surface of the print medium P to output a signal corresponding to the quantity of light received. Identifying section (signal processing section) identifies the type of the print medium on the basis of a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light and a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the different light.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims9

Dependent claims

A print medium identifying device that identifies the type of a print medium used for a printing apparatus, the print medium identifying device comprising:

a light emitting section that irradiates a surface of the print medium with ultraviolet light and infrared light having a longer wavelength than the ultraviolet light;
a light receiving section that receives the light applied by the light emitting section and reflected by the surface of the print medium to output a signal corresponding to the quantity of light received;
and
identifying means for identifying the type of the print medium on the basis of a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light and a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light,
wherein the light emitting section is arranged such that an incident angle of the ultraviolet light is smaller than the incident angle of the infrared light,
wherein the print medium identified by the identifying means includes ordinary paper, glossy paper, and matte paper, and
wherein the identifying means identifies the print medium as glossy paper in the case where the signal output obtained from the reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is smaller than a second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light, and identifies the print medium as matte paper in the case where the signal output obtained from the reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is larger than the second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light and the signal output obtained from reflected ultraviolet light by the light receiving section is larger than a first predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light, and identifies the print medium as ordinary paper in the case where the signal output obtained from reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is larger than the second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light and the signal output obtained from the reflected ultraviolet light by the light receiving section is smaller than the first predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light.

4 more elements

A print medium identifying method of identifying the type of a print medium used for a printing apparatus, the method comprising:

irradiating a surface of the print medium with ultraviolet light and infrared light having a longer wavelength than the ultraviolet light, both the ultraviolet light and the infrared light being emitted by a light emitting section, wherein the light emitting section is arranged such that an incident angle of the ultraviolet light is smaller than the incident angle of the infrared light;
receiving the light reflected by the surface of the print medium using a light receiving section that outputs a signal corresponding to the quantity of light received;
and
identifying the type of the print medium on the basis of a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light and a signal output by the light receiving section when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light,
wherein the print medium identified by the identifying step includes ordinary paper, glossy paper, and matte paper, and
wherein the identifying step identifies the print medium as glossy paper in the case where the signal output obtained from the reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is smaller than a second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light, and identifies the print medium as matte paper in the case where the signal output obtained from the reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is larger than the second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light and the signal output obtained from the reflected ultraviolet light by the light receiving section is larger than a first predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light, and identifies the print medium as ordinary paper in the case where the signal output obtained from reflected infrared light by the light receiving section is larger than the second predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the infrared light and the signal output obtained from the reflected ultraviolet light by the light receiving section is smaller than the first predetermined value when the print medium is irradiated with the ultraviolet light.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,095 words

Summary1,149 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a print medium identifying device and method for identifying the type of print media used for a printing apparatus, as well as a printing apparatus comprising the print medium identifying device.

#2. Description of the Related Art

Brief description of the drawings14 figures

#FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the configuration of a print medium type identifying device according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a graph showing a signal value obtained from a regular-reflection photo sensor divided by a signal value obtained from a diffusive reflection photo sensor when plural types of print media are irradiated with infrared light from a LED, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a graph showing a signal value obtained from the regular-reflection photo sensor divided by a signal value obtained from the diffusive reflection photo sensor when plural types of print media are irradiated with infrared light from the LED, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Detailed description6,543 words

#(Print Medium Identifying Device)

#FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the configuration of a print medium identifying device according to the present invention.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the print medium identifying device according to the present embodiment comprises a photo detecting section 1 and a processing device 3. The photo detecting section 1 has a light emitting section that irradiates a print medium to be identified, with light, and a light receiving section that receives light reflected by the print medium. The processing device 3 processes a signal from the photo detecting section 1 to identify the type of the print medium.

Facts

Application

11/091,431Filed 29 Mar 2005

Priority

JP 2004-10775331 Mar 2004

Published

US 2005/0219305 A16 Oct 2005

Granted

24 Nov 2009

Term ended

12 Jun 2026

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 440 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification2 codes

B41J 11/009
Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in…:…
B41J
Typewriters

Timeline

31 Mar 2004Priority claimedJP 2004-107753
29 Mar 2005Application filedUS 11/091,431
29 Mar 2005Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaishaassignment of assignor's interest
6 Oct 2005PublishedUS 2005/0219305 A1
24 Nov 2009GrantedUS 7,621,615 B2
12 Jun 2026Term endedEstimated, includes 440 days of adjustment

Print medium identifying device, printing apparatus, and print medium identifying method

Life of this patent

Print medium identifying device, printing apparatus, and print medium identifying method

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims9

Description8,095 words

Drawings

Classification2 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,095 words