Pressing Member Segmentation for Recording Material Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional recording-material identifying apparatuses face challenges in achieving high identification accuracy without increasing costs, particularly when dealing with different types of recording materials, as they often require separate sensors for optimal performance.
Innovation Solution
A recording-material identifying apparatus that uses a single sensor configuration with a pressing member forming both a tight contact area and a non-tight contact area, allowing the apparatus to pick up surface images from both areas to improve identification accuracy by differentiating the pressing force, thereby enhancing the sensor's ability to identify various recording materials effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single sensor is used to read surface images from both pressed and non-pressed areas, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but the identification accuracy decreases for certain types of recording materials
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is divided into multiple pressing portions with different pressing forces applied to different areas. This segmentation allows the single sensor to capture surface images with varying degrees of pressing, effectively simulating the function of multiple sensors while maintaining a single sensor configuration. The control unit selectively uses images from different pressing portions based on recording material type to optimize identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressing forces are applied to different local areas of the recording material surface. The pressing member has portions with different pressing characteristics (first pressing portion with higher pressing force, second pressing portion with lower pressing force), allowing the system to adaptively select the appropriate local pressing characteristic for different recording material types, thereby maintaining high identification accuracy across various material types.
2Measurement precision
If separate sensors are used to read surface images from pressed and non-pressed areas, then the identification accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pressing functions are merged into a single pressing member, which includes both a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion with different pressing characteristics. This merging allows the single sensor to capture surface images under different pressing conditions, eliminating the need for separate sensors while maintaining the ability to achieve high identification accuracy for different recording material types.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sensor is designed to serve multiple functions by capturing surface images from different pressing portions of the pressing member. The sensor universally handles both highly-pressed and less-pressed surface areas, and the control unit selectively processes images based on recording material type, making the single sensor configuration universally applicable to various identification scenarios.
3Measurement precision
If the distance between the recording material and sensor is made constant, then a precise surface image is obtained, but the ability to adapt to different recording material types is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is designed with dynamic pressing characteristics, where different portions apply different pressing forces. This dynamic pressing approach allows the system to adaptively adjust the pressing force applied to the recording material surface based on the material type, enabling the single sensor to capture precise surface images for various recording material types by selectively using images from different pressing portions.
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 improves the accuracy of identifying recording materials while maintaining a low-cost sensor configuration, effectively addressing the limitations of previous systems by utilizing a single sensor to capture surface images from both contact areas, thus optimizing the identification process.
Implementation Method 1
an illuminating unit configured to illuminate a recording material with light; an image-pickup unit configured to pick up images of light reflected by the recording material
Data Source
AI summary
By providing a step in a pressing member for pressing a recording material P to a reading surface of an image-pickup unit, surface images in a tight contact area and a non-tight-contact area are picked up. By identifying the type of the recording material P based on the two surface images, the accuracy of identifying the recording material is improved without using a plurality of sensors.