Gloss Sensor Dynamic Exposure Adjustment for Media
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems struggle to accurately detect glossiness in various media due to noise issues when dealing with low-gloss materials, as the output from linear sensors becomes low, leading to inaccurate detection.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system that includes a sensor unit with a light source and a gloss sensor capable of detecting the diffusion distribution of light, which identifies the medium type and adjusts the light amount and exposure time for precise glossiness detection, allowing for accurate detection across different media conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the exposure time in the linear sensor is set to be constant based on high-gloss medium detection, then high-gloss detection is accurate, but low-gloss detection becomes inaccurate due to low output and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the exposure time variable rather than constant. The exposure time is dynamically adjusted based on the detected gloss level of the medium. For low-gloss media, the exposure time is extended to increase the light signal intensity, while for high-gloss media, the exposure time is kept shorter to prevent saturation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between accurate high-gloss detection and reliable low-gloss detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the exposure time parameter based on the gloss characteristics of the medium. By detecting the gloss level first and then adjusting the exposure time parameter accordingly, the system optimizes the detection conditions for different media types. This parameter change approach allows the system to maintain high detection accuracy across both high-gloss and low-gloss media by adapting the exposure time to match the specific reflection characteristics of each medium.
2Measurement precision
If the light amount is increased to improve low-gloss detection, then low-gloss detection accuracy improves, but high-gloss medium causes saturation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic adjustment of both light amount and exposure time based on the detected gloss level. For low-gloss media, the system increases the light amount and/or extends exposure time to enhance the weak reflected signal. For high-gloss media, the system reduces the light amount and/or shortens exposure time to prevent saturation. This dynamic control strategy resolves the contradiction between improving low-gloss detection and avoiding high-gloss saturation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the light amount parameter dynamically based on the medium's gloss characteristics. By detecting the gloss level first and then adjusting the light amount parameter, the system prevents signal saturation in high-gloss media while ensuring sufficient signal intensity for low-gloss media detection. This parameter adaptation eliminates the harmful saturation effect while maintaining detection accuracy across different gloss levels.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed detection condition is used for all media types, then the system is simple to operate, but detection accuracy varies across different media
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the system to automatically detect the medium type and adjust detection parameters without user intervention. The system autonomously identifies whether the medium is high-gloss or low-gloss and automatically optimizes the exposure time and light amount accordingly. This self-adjusting capability maintains ease of operation while significantly improving detection accuracy across different media types, eliminating the need for manual parameter setting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where the initial gloss detection result feeds back into the parameter adjustment process. The system detects the gloss level, uses this information to adjust the exposure time and light amount, and then performs the final gloss measurement with optimized parameters. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to different media types automatically, maintaining both operational simplicity and high detection accuracy across various gloss levels.
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
Enables accurate detection of glossiness in various media by setting appropriate light conditions based on the medium type, improving detection accuracy and avoiding noise-related inaccuracies.
Implementation Method 1
a gloss sensor that receives light emitted from the light source and specularly reflected on the medium
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an image forming system and a method for detecting glossiness capable of accurately detecting glossiness in various media having different conditions.The image forming system includes a sensor unit including a light source that irradiates a medium being conveyed with light and a gloss sensor that receives light emitted from the light source and specularly reflected on the medium and detects a diffusion distribution of light in the medium, and a detection condition setting unit that identifies a type of the medium being conveyed and sets a light amount of the light source and/or exposure time of the gloss sensor at the time of glossiness detection in accordance with the type of the medium. The image forming system further includes a glossiness detector that detects glossiness of the medium from a diffusion distribution of light detected by the gloss sensor under the detection condition set by the detection condition setting unit.