Abstract:
An in-line optical sensor assembly that measures optical reflection density on a printed sheet horizontally conveyed and supported by a paper transport section of a printer is provided. The sensor assembly includes a densitometer having frame provided with a pair of tapered blades that engage the moving printed sheet, a light source disposed on said frame that illuminates a portion of said printed sheet at a continuous intensity, and a photo-detector mounted on the frame and positioned to receive light from the light source that is reflected off said printed sheet. The optical sensor assembly also includes a mounting that floatably mounts the densitometer in a position over the printed sheet. The mounting can be formed from an opening in a cover plate of the paper transport section that slidably receives the densitometer such that the pair of tapered blades continuously engages the moving sheet in ski-like fashion due to the weight of the densitometer. The floating mounting arrangement maintains a constant, predetermined distance between the photo-detector of the densitometer and the illuminated portion of the moving printed sheet regardless of vertical movement of the printed sheet within said paper transport section.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention generally relates to photometers for measuring the optical reflection density on printed sheets of paper, and is specifically concerned with an in-line self-spacing sensor that measures the optical reflection density of color test patches periodically printed on sheets moving through a paper transport section of a printer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In electrostatographic printers, printing parameters such as primary charger setpoint, exposure setpoint, toner concentration, and development bias must be periodically adjusted in order to maintain consistent color characteristics in the images being printed. Printer process control strategies typically involve measuring the reflective optical density of a toner image on an exposed and developed area on a printed sheet (called a “test patch”). Optical density has the advantage, compared to transmittance or reflectance measures, of matching more closely to human visual perception. A further advantage of relying on an optical density measurement to maintain consistent color characteristics in the printed images is that density is approximately proportional to the thickness of the marking material layer over a substantial range. The optical sensors used to make such reflection density measurements are known as densitometers. Such densitometers include an array of photo-transistors covered with a mask of color filters, and a light source that provides white light at a constant intensity. In operation, the photo-transistor array generates separate pulse frequency signals indicative of the density of selected light wavelengths (which typically correspond to red, blue, and green) as it scans the test patches of color. 
         [0003]    An “in-line” densitometer refers to a densitometer that is mounted on the printer itself, and which measures the reflective density of test patches on printed sheets moving through a paper path in the printer. Density measurements are transmitted to the digital color controller of the printer as the densitometer scans the moving sequence of test patches (which are typically a series of cyan, magenta, yellow, gray and black rectangles) on the printed test sheets. From the input provided by the in-line densitometer, the digital color controller of the printer can determine whatever adjustments might be necessary to the color process control parameters to maintain consistent color characteristics in the printed images. 
         [0004]    As indicated in  FIG. 1 , one location where an in-line densitometer  1  may advantageously be mounted on an electrostatographic printer is in the top plate of the paper transport section  3  immediately downstream of the fuser roller  5 . This transport section  3  is sometimes referred to as the “fuser extension,” and includes a horizontally oriented bottom plate  7  to support the printed sheets  9  during transport. Often, due to the possibility of paper jams, this paper transport section  3  includes a top plate  11  having hinges  13  that allows it to be opened and then closed after the paper jam is cleared. Paper  9  that passes through this transport section  3  is propelled by pinch rollers  15   a, b  in the direction “A” but otherwise is free within the confines of the top and bottom plates  7 ,  11 . 
         [0005]    In order for the densitometer to provide consistent and accurate image density data to the digital color controller of the printer, it is necessary to maintain a constant vertical distance X between the array of phototransistors and sheets  9  printed with the test patches. The criticality of maintaining such a constant distance is illustrated in the graph of  FIG. 2 , where the horizontal and vertical axes represent phototransistor spacing (in millimeters) to the test sheets and the difference (or minimum delta) in the pulse frequency output of the densitometer indicative of a measured color density, respectively. As is evident from this graph, a variation of 0.50 millimeters from an optimal distance of about 2.3 millimeters will cause a minimum error of about 100 pulses per second to occur in images having mid to high saturation. Such a 0.50 millimeter variation in X may occur, for example, by the fluttering of the leading edge of the paper  9  as it is propelled by the pinch rollers  13   a, b . The resulting minimum error of about 100 pulses per second in turn corresponds to a density measurement error of between about 1% and 5%, which is sufficient to result in perceptible variations in the color characteristics of a single image being printed multiple times. 
         [0006]    One prior art solution to this problem is the provision of an optical system that compensates for variations in X. However, such systems require the use of a custom-made arrangement of precision lenses and hence are relatively complicated and expensive. Moreover, inaccurate measurements can still occur in situations where the vertical distance X varies beyond the capacity of the optical system to compensate. Another prior art solution seeks to maintain the vertical distance X by providing a precision-made top latch and hinge for the accurate re-positioning of the top plate relative to the bottom plate of the paper transport section, in combination with a spring-loaded mounting between the housing of the densitometer and the top plate to hold the paper in sliding engagement against the supporting, bottom plate. However, even when such mechanical components are provided, the applicant has observed that the vertical orientation of the typically metallic top plate in the paper transport section can vary a millimeter or more due to thermal differential expansion as a result of the combined variable heat output from the fuser roller located immediately upstream and the opening/closing action of the cover. 
         [0007]    Clearly, there is a need for an in-line densitometer mountable in the fuser extension transport section of an electrostatographic printer that provides reliable color density measurements without the need for lenses or precision mechanical mounting components and overcomes all of the aforementioned disadvantages associated with prior art designs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention is an in-line optical sensor assembly mounted in a paper transport section of a printer that maintains a constant vertical distance between its phototransistor array and printed sheets moving under the densitometer without the need for either precision-made latches and hinges in the transport section, or a spring-loaded mounting between the densitometer and a top plate of the transport section. 
         [0009]    To this end, the in-line optical sensor assembly comprises (1) a densitometer including a frame having an engagement portion that engages a printed sheet moving in a transport section of a printer; a light source mounted on the frame that illuminates a portion of the printed sheet at a continuous intensity; a photo-detector mounted on the frame and positioned to receive light from the light source that is reflected off said printed sheet, and (2) a mounting that floatably mounts the densitometer in the printer such that the engagement portion slides over the printed sheet as it moves through the paper transport section. The weight of the densitometer maintains the engagement portion of the frame in constant, sliding contact with the top surface of the moving sheet. The resulting constant, sliding contact advantageously maintains the critical vertical distance between the photo-detector mounted in the densitometer housing and the illuminated portion of the moving printed sheet, and obviates the need for lenses. This critical vertical distance is maintained regardless of vertical movement of the printed sheet within said paper transport section due to fluttering, or changes in the vertical orientation of the top plate due to tolerances in the latches and hinges that pivotally mount the plate to the transport section plate, or thermal differential expansion of the sheet metal forming the top plate. 
         [0010]    In the preferred embodiment, the floating mounting is an opening in the top plate that loosely receives the frame of the densitometer, and the engagement portion is constituted by tapered, blade-like members such that the densitometer slides over the moving printed sheets in ski-like fashion. Moreover, the weight of the densitometer is selected within a range (i.e. between about 12 and 20 grams) sufficient to maintain constant sliding contact between the tapered, blade-like members without promoting snagging or binding that could result in paper jams. Such a simple floating mounting formed by an opening in the top plate and that operates by the weight of the densitometer obviates the need for precision mechanical mounting components. Further, the photo-detector is positioned on the frame to preferably receive only light from the light source that is diffusely reflected from the printed sheet, and the light source is mounted on the housing at an angle that transmits light at an oblique angle toward the printed sheet. Advantageously, the frame has an aperture that conducts light reflected by said printed sheets to the photo-detector without the need for a focusing lens. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is schematic, side cross-sectional view of a paper transport section of an electrophotographic printer having an in-line densitometer; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a graph illustrating the minimum pulse error of a densitometer pulse output as a function of variations from the critical, vertical spacing between the array of phototransistors of the densitometer and the surface of the printed paper being scanned; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective, partially exploded view of the optical sensor assembly of the invention illustrating the densitometer of the invention floatingly mounted in an opening in the top plate of a paper transport section of a printer; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the optical sensor assembly shown in  FIG. 3  with the paper transport section shown in cross-section; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the optical sensor assembly shown in  FIG. 3  with the paper transport section shown in cross-section; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the circuitry used in the densitometer of the optical sensor assembly of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the optical sensor assembly of the invention in operation in a paper transport section of a printer; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is tracing illustrating how the digital control IC controls the red, green and blue pulse outputs of optical sensor IC used in the circuitry of the densitometer during the operation of the optical sensor assembly; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a schematic illustrating the over-all operation of the circuitry of the optical sensor assembly of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a graph illustrating how the sensor output varies as a function of the particular page being scanned, and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a graph of the cyan signal output of the optical sensor IC used in the circuitry of the densitometer over a four month time period, illustrating the stability of this signal over time. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , wherein like numerals designate like components throughout all the several Figures, the optical sensor assembly  20  of the invention generally comprises a densitometer  22  and a mounting  24  that floatably mounts the densitometer  22  over printed sheets  9  moving within a paper transport section  3  of a printer. When the printer is an electrostatographic printer, the paper transport section  3  can be the paper transport section immediately downstream of the fuser roller. In the preferred embodiment, the floating mounting  24  is simply a rectangular opening  26  in the top plate  11  of the paper transport section  3  that is complementary in shape but slightly larger than the rectangular frame  30  of the densitometer such that the densitometer frame  30  is loosely received therein. Such dimensioning allows the densitometer frame  30  to move freely in the vertical direction in response to vertical movements of the paper  9  while preventing the densitometer  22  from lateral movement. 
         [0023]    The sensor frame  30  has a rectangular table portion  32  for supporting the densitometer circuitry  33 , and a pair of engagement blades  34   a, b . The upper portions of the engagement blades  33   a, b  are preferably integrally molded to the underside of the table portion  32 , while the bottom edges have tapered leading edges  36  such that the over-all shape is similar to that of an ice-skating blade. In the preferred embodiment, the frame  30  is formed from a moldable, lightweight, high strength and wear-resistant plastic material having natural lubricating properties such as the polyoxymethylene-based resin sold by the DuPont Company located in Wilmington, Del. under the brand name Delrin. The frame  30  is preferably black in color to avoid spurious reflections which could interfere with the accuracy of the light intensity measurements taken by the densitometer circuitry  33 . 
         [0024]    With reference now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , wherein paper travel is indicated by the direction “A”, a light-source housing  38  is provided on the trailing end of the table portion of the frame  30 . Housing  38  includes a cylindrical bore for receiving a white LED (shown in exploded view in  FIG. 3 ). The LED can be, for example, a model number NSPW500CS Bright White LED sold by the Nichia Corporation located in Tokyo, Japan. While many other light sources can be used to implement the invention, it is important that the light source be capable of providing a broad range of visible light wavelengths so that the densitometer circuitry  33  can provide relatively balanced signal strengths for the different colored test patches. The angle of the bore  40  that receives the LED is preferably 45 degrees as indicated in  FIG. 5  so that the LED illuminates an elliptically shaped portion  43  of the printed sheet  9  directly beneath the optical sensor of the densitometer circuitry  33 . It should be noted that the total weight of the densitometer  22  is preferably between 12 and 20 grams, and more preferably between 14 and 18 grams, and is most preferably 16 grams for reasons which will become evident hereinafter. 
         [0025]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the components of the densitometer circuitry  33  mounted on the table portion  32  include an optical sensor circuit  45 , a constant current circuit  53  including a current control IC  54  for powering the white LED  42 , and an electrical socket  55  connected to a remotely located digital control IC  60  and power source for conducting control signals to the optical sensor IC  45  and power to the circuit  53 . 
         [0026]    The optical sensor circuit  45  includes a sensor IC  46  which is preferably a Taos TSC230 sensor chip manufactured by Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions, Inc., located in Plano, Tex. The output of this device is a square wave or pulse train whose frequency is linearly proportional to light intensity and features a dynamic range of 120 dB. The bottom side of the sensor IC  45  includes an array of phototransistors  47  masked with a red, green, and blue color filter so that equal numbers of the phototransistors generate separate square wave pulse trains whose corresponding to the intensity of red, green and blue as the densitometer scans the sample patches on printed sheets  9  moving under the densitometer frame  30 . The top surface of the table portion  32  of the frame  30  includes a circular recess  49  for receiving the array of phototransistors  47 . A circular aperture  51  extends from the center of the recess  49  through the bottom surface of the table portion  32  of the frame  30 . As is best seen in  FIG. 5 , the aperture  51  conducts diffusively reflected light from the elliptically-shaped portion  43  of the paper  9  illuminated by the white LED  42 . It is of course possible to arrange the angle of the LED  42  and bore  40  such that specularly reflected light is received by the aperture  51 . However, the use of diffusively reflected light is preferred as is more closely duplicates the lighting conditions that an ordinary observer views an image in. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the circular aperture  51  is 1.0 millimeters. Such a small aperture helps to resolve a “clean break” between test patches of different colors as they are scanned by the densitometer  22 , and allows the color calibration test to be conducted with printed sheets having a greater number of colored test patches. With specific reference to  FIG. 6 , the optical sensor circuit  45  further includes a resistor bank  62  for adjusting the voltages of the digital control signals received from the digital control IC  60  via the socket  55  to the 0 and 5 volt levels recognizable as “0” and “1” control signals by the sensor IC  46 . These digital control signals are conducted to the S 2  and S 3  pins of the sensor IC  46  as shown. Additionally, the output pin (“out 6 ”) of the sensor IC  46  is connected to an input of the digital control IC  60  so that the digital control IC can determine the intensity of the perceived color components in a manner which will be explained in more detail hereinafter. Finally, capacitors  63   a, b  are included to stabilize the voltage of the digital control signals received by the sensor IC  46  via the resistor bank  62 . 
         [0027]    The constant current circuit  53  illustrated in  FIG. 6  includes a current control IC  54  which, in the preferred embodiment, is a LM317 IC manufactured by National Semiconductor located in Santa Clara, Calif. One input of the IC  54  is connected to the 15 volt input  66  from the socket  55 . The power output of the IC  54  is serially connected to a connector  76  by way of a precision resistor  72 , which (in combination with the other components of the LM317 IC) reduces the voltage of the power received from the socket  55  from 15 volts to about 1.25 volts. The connector is in turn connected to the white LED  42 . In operation, the current control IC  54  continuously monitors the voltage drop across the precision resistor  72  via second input and continuously adjusts the voltage of its output so that the current conducted to the white LED  42  via the connector  76  remains constant. Capacitors  74   a, b  are connected as shown to filter out high frequency noise from the input of the IC  70 . 
         [0028]    The mechanical operation of the optical sensor assembly  20  is best understood with reference to  FIG. 7 . As previously indicated, the densitometer  22  is received into a floating mounting  24  formed from a complementarily-shaped opening  26  in the top plate  11  of a paper transport section  3  of a printer. The opening  26  should loosely receive the frame  30  of the densitometer such that vertical movement within the opening is relatively unimpeded by scraping or other frictional forces. Sheets  9  printed with a sequence of rectangular test patches colored cyan, magenta, yellow, gray and black are propelled through the paper transport section  3  via pinch rollers  15   a, b  in the direction “A”. The leading edges of the printed sheets  9  initially engage the tapered leading edges  36  of the engagement blades  34   a, b  such that the densitometer  22  begins to slide over the surface of the printed paper  9  in ski-like fashion. Importantly, the weight of the densitometer (which is preferably 16 grams) is sufficient, under most circumstances, to press the printed sheet into flat contact with the bottom plate  7  of the transport section  3  without the promotion of paper jamming caused by snagging or resistance to the movement of the sheets  9  through the paper transport section  3 . However, in the event that some vertical movement occurs between the sheet  9  and the bottom plate  7  as the sheet traverses under the densitometer, the floating mounting will accommodate all such vertical movement. The resulting floating action and balance of forces between the weight of the densitometer  22  and vertical movement of the printed sheets  9  as a result of fluttering or paper curl advantageously maintains the critical distance X between the portion  43  lighted by the white LED  42  and the array of phototransistors  47  of the sensor IC  46  whether the sheet is flat against the bottom plate  7  or raised above it. 
         [0029]    The operation of the optical sensor circuit  45  during the transport of the sheets  9  under the densitometer can best be understood with reference both to  FIGS. 6 and 8 . Initially, the digital control IC  60  transmits “1” or “0” digital control pulses to pins S 2  and S 3  of the sensor IC  45  in one of the patterns “1, 1”, “1, 0” or “0, 0”, which actuate one of the red, green or blue sensitive phototransistors, respectively. In this example, let us assume that the digital control IC  60  transmits a “1” pulse to S 2  and a “1” pulse to S 3  as is illustrated in the pulse tracing of  FIG. 8 . This signal pattern actuates the red phototransistors in the array of the  47  of the sensor IC  46 . The sensor IC in turn generates a pulse having a width over time (designated “red pulse” in  FIG. 8 ). The output pin (“out 6 ”) of the sensor IC  46  is connected to an input of the digital control circuit  60 , and when the digital control IC  60  senses the voltage drop associated with the trailing edge of the red pulse, it simultaneously (1) measures the width of the red pulse over time in order to determine the frequency thereof (which in turn corresponds to the intensity of red light perceived by the sensor IC  46 ), and changes the pattern of control signals from “1, 1” to “1,0” thereby actuating the green phototransistors in the array of the  47  of the sensor IC  46 . When the digital control IC  60  senses the voltage drop associated with the trailing edge of the green pulse, it simultaneously measures the time length of the green pulse, and changes the pattern of control signals from “1,0” to “0, 0” thereby actuating the blue phototransistors in the array of the  47  of the sensor IC  46 . The pattern is sequentially repeated such that the pulse length, and hence the intensity, of red, green and blue light reflected from the test patches on the moving printed sheet sliding under the densitometer is continuously measured. 
         [0030]      FIG. 9  illustrates the manner in which the digital control IC  60  processes data received from the optical sensor circuit  45 . After actuating the white LED  42  relaying the aforementioned sequence of control signals to the optical sensor circuit  45 , counter circuits in the digital control IC  60  determine the frequency associated with the measured pulse width for each of the red, blue and green pulse outputs generated by the optical sensor circuit  45 . The calculated frequencies for each color is then stored and continuously averaged The averaged output for all three colors is then sampled at a frequency of 1 KHz, or every one-thousandth of a second.  FIG. 10  illustrates the output of the digital control IC  60  at this stage of data processing, and clearly illustrates that the 1 KHz sampling frequency is ample to detect the leading and trailing edges of a printed sheet, as well as leading and trailing edges of an alternating pattern of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colored patches. In the test graph of  FIG. 10 , the printed sheet was transported under the densitometer  22  at the same speed that a printed sheet would move in the paper transport section  3  during an actual calibration test, and the colored patches (formed from a pattern of alternating dark and light gray color patches) were the same size and shape the alternating pattern of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colored patches that would be used during such a test. Here, each of the 16 peaks corresponds to dark the dark gray, while each of the 15 valleys corresponds to the light gray patches. In the final stages of processing, the averaged output for red, blue and green is associated with one of the cyan, magenta, yellow and black color test patches, and converted to a color density parameter representative of the measured color density of the particular cyan, magenta, yellow and black color test patches. This measured color density parameter is compared to a desired target color density parameter for each of the cyan, magenta, yellow and black color patches. Any significant difference between the measured color density and the desired color density is relayed to a color control IC of the electrostatographic printer, which proceeds to adjust one or more of the color controls of the printer to bring the measured color densities in line with the desired color densities. 
         [0031]    Finally,  FIG. 11  demonstrates the high degree of consistent output of the Taos TSC230 sensor chip preferably used as the sensor IC  46  in the densitometer  22  of the invention. The graph of  FIG. 11  demonstrates that the Taos TSC230 sensor chip color provided accurate and consistent density measurements made by over an approximately four month period over a broad range of cyan densities. The lack of any significant variation in the color density measurements over such a length of time indicates that this particular sensor chip can be relied upon to calibrate the color controls of a printer. 
         [0032]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the scope of the invention. For example, while only one densitometer in a printer has been shown, the invention is readily adaptable to an embodiment where multiple densitometers are used in a same printer. 
       LIST OF PARTS 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               1 . densitometer (prior art) 
               2 . paper transport section 
               5 . fuser roller 
               7 . bottom plate 
               9 . printed sheets 
               11 . top plate 
               13 . hinge 
               15 . rollers  a, b    
               20 . optical sensor assembly 
               22 . densitometer of the invention 
               24 . floating mounting 
               26 . opening 
               30 . frame 
               32 . table portion 
               33 . densitometer circuitry 
               34 . engagement blades  a, b    
               36 . tapered leading edges 
               38 . light source housing 
               40 . cylindrical bore 
               42 . white LED 
               43 . lighted paper portion 
               45 . optical sensor circuit 
               46 . sensor IC 
               47 . array of phototransistors 
               49 . recess in support table 
               51 . aperture 
               53 . constant current circuit 
               54 . current control IC 
               55 . electrical socket 
               57 . connector 
               60 . control circuit 
               62 . resistor bank 
               64 . capacitors  a, b    
               66 . power input 
               72 . precision resistor 
               74 . capacitors  a, b    
               76 . power socket