Patent ID: 8005385

Claim:
A method for measuring the mass of toner on a photoreceptor during a xerographic process, comprising: constructing at least one clean belt reading at intensity levels below a known saturation level; determining a direct relationship between specular voltage and LED intensity; extrapolating at least one virtual clean belt reading beyond said known saturation level of light intensity based on said direct relationship; placing a patch of toner on a photoreceptor; emitting a light onto the patch via a known intensity of a light emitting diode (LED); reading the amount of light reflected off the patch as a specular voltage via an optical reflective sensor, wherein said LED is part of said sensor; determining if the specular voltage exceeds said saturation level; and calculating the specular voltage value of said patch based upon the known direct relationship between the specular voltage and the LED intensity, wherein said known relationship is such that the value of one of said voltage and said intensity can be determined based on a known value of the other of said voltage and said intensity.