Patent ID: 8727478

Claim:
An ink loader for a solid ink imaging device comprising: an insertion port having a support, the insertion port being configured to receive a solid ink stick and enable the solid ink stick to rest on the support; a first optical source in the insertion port, the first optical source being oriented to emit diffuse light toward a first face of the solid ink stick resting on the support; at least two optical sensors in the insertion port that are oriented to receive light reflected from the first face of the solid ink stick, the at least two optical sensors being oriented for different angles of reflection with respect to the first face of the solid ink stick to enable each optical sensor in the at least two optical sensors to receive reflected light from different portions of the first face of the solid ink stick and generate a signal corresponding to an amount of received reflected light; a second optical source in the insertion port, the second optical source being oriented to emit diffuse light toward a second face of the solid ink stick resting on the support, the second face being different than the first face of the solid ink stick; at least two more optical sensors in the insertion port that are oriented to receive light reflected from the second face of the solid ink stick, the at least two more optical sensors being oriented for different angles of reflection with respect to the second face of the solid ink stick to enable each optical sensor in the at least two more optical sensors to receive reflected light from different portions of the second face of the solid ink stick and generate a signal corresponding to an amount of received reflected light; and a controller operatively connected the first optical source, the second optical source, to the at least two optical sensors and the at least two more optical sensors, the controller being configured activate the first optical source and the second optical source in a predetermined sequence, and to identify a first feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the at least two optical sensors and to identify a second feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the at least two more optical sensors.