Patent ID: 6347857
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet printer with fast and inexpensive droplet deposition analysis capability, said ink jet printer comprising:a platen having a slot therein; a supply reel mounted in said platen; a strip of substantially flexible transparent film extending from said supply reel, across said platen, and into said slot; a film drive capstan and pinch roller mounted beneath said slot and accepting said film therebetween; a light source and an optical detector mounted adjacent to said drive capstan and said pinch roller such that said film may be advanced past said optical detector by said drive capstan while being illuminated by said light source; and a processor coupled to receive an output of said optical detector as said film is advanced past said optical detector, wherein said processor is configured to create one or more images of an array of ink droplets on said film by said ink jet printer, wherein said processor is configured to map said one or more images onto a coordinate plane, and wherein said processor is configured to detect missing and inaccurately positioned droplets relative to said coordinate plane.