Detection of process abnormalities in a media processing system
AssigneeKodak Alaris Inc.
InventorsThomas G. Middleton, Bruce A. Link, Daniel P. Phinney
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Abstract
Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.
Claims28
A method of monitoring transport of a sheet media though a media processing apparatus comprising steps of:
- conveying at least one sheet media with a transport apparatus including one or more rollers from a queue mechanism along a medium transport path;
- detecting a vibration propagating in the media processing apparatus using at least two vibration sensors, with a first vibration sensor detecting vibration on at least one support structure for a roller and a second vibration sensor detecting vibration in an ejection proximate to an output tray for receiving the sheet media advanced by the transport apparatus, and generating detected vibration signals;
- analyzing, in a processing system, the detected vibration signals, wherein the analyzing includes determining whether the detected vibration signals are associated with normal handling of sheet media in the media processing apparatus or whether the detected vibration signals are associated with abnormal handling of the sheet media;
- and
- signaling an error condition to a control system in response to determining that the detected vibration signals are associated with abnormal handling of the sheets.
A media processing apparatus comprising:
- a transport apparatus for advancing sheet media from a queue mechanism through one or more media processing stages to an ejection mechanism, wherein the transport apparatus includes rollers for engaging the sheet media and support structures for rotatably supporting the rollers;
- at least two vibration sensors for detecting a vibration, including a first vibration sensor and a second vibration sensor, wherein the second vibration sensor is mounted on the ejection mechanism;
- a processing system configured to analyze the detected vibration signals during the advancing of the sheet media for determining whether the detected vibration signals are associated with normal handling of sheet media or with abnormal handling of sheet media;
- and
- a control unit that receives an error condition signal from the processing system in response to determining that the detected vibration signals are associated with abnormal handling of the sheet media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.