Adaptive Sampling for Printers Using Monochrome Scanner
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Lower-end printers face challenges in detecting and correcting print quality issues due to the high cost of transferring high-end commercial printing technologies, and conventional sampling methods often result in aliasing artifacts and increased data bandwidth, making it difficult to assess and improve printer health effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an adaptive sampling system using an inline monochrome scanner with an adjustable color illumination source, which dynamically modulates the light source based on printed page content to minimize unwanted reflections and optimize data fidelity, allowing for contiguous sampling and targeted detection of specific color planes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional RGB sequential sampling is used, then color information can be captured, but aliasing artifacts occur and data bandwidth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by modulating the illumination source at specific frequencies that do not alias with the printed halftone frequency. The scanner uses periodic illumination pulses at frequencies below the Nyquist frequency of the halftone screen, ensuring accurate capture of print quality metrics without generating aliasing artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the illumination frequency parameter to resolve the aliasing problem. By adjusting the illumination frequency to be non-aliasing with the halftone frequency, the system achieves accurate print quality assessment. The modulation frequency is specifically selected to avoid integer multiples and subharmonics of the halftone frequency.
2Measurement precision
If conventional RGB sequential sampling is used, then color information can be captured, but data bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information for print quality assessment by using a monochrome scanner with selective color plane illumination. Instead of capturing full RGB data, the system illuminates and scans only the specific color plane of interest, significantly reducing data bandwidth while maintaining the ability to detect and diagnose printer health issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simple monochrome scanner instead of a complex color scanner, effectively replacing an expensive, high-bandwidth solution with a simpler, lower-bandwidth alternative. The monochrome scanner provides sufficient information for print quality assessment when combined with selective color plane illumination.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-end commercial printing technologies are transferred to lower-end printers, then print quality can be improved, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a cost-effective monochrome scanner with adjustable color illumination instead of expensive color scanning systems. This approach provides sufficient print quality assessment capability for lower-end printers without requiring high-end commercial printing technologies, maintaining cost-effectiveness while enabling effective quality monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary solution by using a monochrome scanner with selective color plane illumination as a mediator between the printer and the quality assessment system. This intermediary approach provides accurate quality feedback without requiring direct integration of expensive color scanning technology.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If sampling rate is increased to meet Nyquist criteria, then aliasing is prevented, but data bandwidth and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic illumination at controlled frequencies to prevent aliasing without requiring high sampling rates. By modulating the illumination source at frequencies that do not alias with the halftone frequency, the system achieves accurate sampling at lower rates, reducing data bandwidth requirements while preventing aliasing artifacts.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances print quality assessment by reducing aliasing artifacts, improving data fidelity, and minimizing bandwidth requirements, enabling effective monitoring and correction of printer health issues while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
illuminate the chosen printed page with a mono-color that is maximally absorbed within the region for the color plane, and minimally absorbed within the region for other primary color planes
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a printer with adaptive sampling includes a print engine, a monochrome scanner, a light source, and an analysis module. The light source has independently controlled primaries oriented to illuminate a media from the print engine. The analysis module includes a page selection module to select a chosen page of media for analysis, a heuristic analysis module to analyze the chosen page and determine a region of the page for analysis, a light control module to select a mono-color for the light source in region on the chosen page, and a quality module to accept an image of the chosen page and a scan of the chosen page with the monochrome scanner illuminated by the selected mono-color and compare the image and the scan within the region to determine a discrepancy.