Multi-imager Lateral Registration via Belt Position Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging devices face challenges in accurately registering highlight color images due to irregularities in the motion of the photoreceptor belt, leading to misalignment and errors in color separation, making printed copies unsuitable for intended uses.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system with at least two sensors to detect the lateral position of the photoreceptor belt near each imager, allowing for real-time correction of the scan start location and recalculating scanline non-linearity and fastscan magnification to account for belt irregularities, ensuring precise registration of latent images between imagers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a second imager writes at a constant rate to highlight the first image, then the imaging process is simple and efficient, but serious errors in color-to-color registration occur due to photoreceptor belt motion irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors to detect the actual lateral position of the photoreceptor belt at multiple locations, and uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust the scanning parameters of the second imager. This closed-loop control ensures that even though both imagers write at constant rates, the detected belt position variations are compensated for in real-time, maintaining accurate color registration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the scanning parameters (such as scan start position, scanline non-linearity correction, and fastscan magnification) of the second imager based on detected belt position variations. By dynamically adjusting these parameters rather than maintaining fixed constant-rate writing, the system achieves both high productivity and precise color registration.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple sensors are added to detect belt position at multiple locations, then registration accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the photoreceptor belt into multiple monitoring zones, each with its own sensor. This segmentation allows independent detection of lateral position variations at different locations, enabling precise localization and correction of belt motion irregularities without requiring a single complex sensor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical registration mechanisms with optical sensors and computational correction. Instead of using mechanical adjustment devices to physically align the imagers, the system uses sensors to detect belt position and applies computational corrections to scanning parameters, simplifying the mechanical structure while improving precision.
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 provides accurate and cost-effective registration of latent images, reducing color-to-color registration errors and improving the quality of multicolor images by compensating for photoreceptor belt motion irregularities, resulting in high-quality, inexpensive color images.
Implementation Method 1
a photoreceptor belt, a first imager to generate an output in a first color at a first exposure station on the photoreceptor belt, and a second imager to generate an output in a second color at a second exposure station on the photoreceptor belt
Implementation Method 2
at least a first sensor and a second sensor, respectively located near the first imager and the second imager, detect the lateral position of a photoreceptor belt of the imaging device
Data Source
AI summary
A lateral position of a photoreceptor belt is detected by at least a first sensor and a second sensor, respectively located near a first imager and a second imager. The detected lateral positions of the photoreceptor belt by the first sensor is compared to the detected lateral position of the photoreceptor belt by the second sensor. Based on this compared difference, a correction is applied to the position of the second imager relative to the photoreceptor belt. To apply the correction, the location of the start of scan (SOS) of the respective imagers is moved.