Patent ID: 6853948

Claim:
A sheet media length detection device, comprising: a nip assembly including a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member each at least partially electrically conductive and respectively configured to rotate in contact with each other, the nip assembly configured to selectively pass a sheet media between the first and the second rotatable members at a known speed; a source of electrical energy; a sense element electrically coupled to the source of electrical energy and the first and the second rotatable members, the sense element configured such that a first or a second electrical potential is present across the sense element in respective correspondence to the presence or absence of a sheet of media between the first and second rotatable members; and a sense circuit electrically coupled to the sense element and configured to provide a length signal in correspondence to a length of a sheet of media passed between the first and the second rotatable members in response to monitoring the first and the second electrical potentials across the sense element.