Fluorescent ink detector

• US 20060044341A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Reichelsheimer, Jay, Wilk, David B., Sanchez, Luis A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,438,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00653 Special inks, e.g. fluorescent
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00709 Scanning mailpieces

Abstract

A printer luminescent ink sensor for a printing device including a radiant energy source; and a photodetector located downstream from a print head of the printing device. The photodetector is adapted to detect luminescent energy from an indicium printed by the print head, upon exposure to radiant energy from the radiant energy source, substantially immediately after the indicium is printed.

Claims

1. A printer luminescent ink sensor for a printing device comprising:

a radiant energy source; and

a photodetector located downstream from a print head of the printing device, wherein the photodetector is adapted to detect luminescent energy from an indicium printed by the print head, upon exposure to radiant energy from the radiant energy source, substantially immediately after the indicium is printed.

2. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 1 wherein the radiant energy source comprises an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED).

3. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 1 wherein the photodetector comprises a light-to-voltage sensor.

4. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 3 wherein the photodetector comprises a wavelength filter.

5. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 4 wherein the wavelength filter comprises about a 550 nm high pass filter.

6. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 1 wherein the photodetector comprises a plurality of photosensors, wherein at least two of the photosensors are adapted to detect different wavelengths.

7. A printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 6 wherein two of the photosensors each comprise a light-to-voltage sensor and a different bandpass wavelength filter.

8. A printing device comprising:

a print head;

a system for determining print quality of a printed indicium printed by the print head on an article, the system comprising;

a printer luminescent ink sensor as in claim 1 located downstream from the print head;

a system for determining if the printed indicium comprises luminescent ink based upon a signal from the printer luminescent ink sensor.

9. A printing device as in claim 8 wherein the printing device comprises a postage meter and the print head comprises a postage meter print head.

10. A printing device as in claim 8 wherein the system for determining print quality is adapted to determine if the printed indicium comprises a minimum predetermined amount of luminescence.

11. A printing device as in claim 8 wherein the system for determining print quality is adapted to determine a quality of the printed indicium based upon a shape of a waveform signal from the printer luminescent ink sensor.

12. A printing device as in claim 8 wherein the system for determining print quality is adapted to differentiate between different inks.

13. A printing device as in claim 12 wherein the system for determining print quality is adapted to differentiate between different fluorescent inks.

14. A printing device as in claim 8 further comprising an infrared (IR) detector adapted to sense black ink pigments.

15. A printing device as in claim 8 wherein the photodetector is adapted to sense at least two separate wavelengths and adapted to output a digital value based upon a detection threshold for each of the wavelengths.

16. A printing device as in claim 15 wherein the photodetector comprises a plurality of light-to-voltage sensors and a different filter with different transmission rates at each light-to-voltage sensor.

17. A printer fluorescent ink sensor for a printing device comprising:

a radiant energy source; and

a system for determining quality of fluorescence of an indicium printed by a print head of the printing device, the system comprising a fluorescent ink photodetector located downstream from the print head.

18. A printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 wherein the radiant energy source comprises an ultraviolet LED.

19. A printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 wherein the photodetector comprises a light-to-voltage sensor and a wavelength filter.

20. A printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 wherein the photodetector comprises a plurality of photosensors, wherein at least two of the photosensors are adapted to detect different wavelengths.

21. A printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 wherein two of the photosensors each comprise a light-to-voltage sensor and a different bandpass wavelength filter.

22. A printing device comprising:

a print head;

a printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 located downstream from the print head further comprising a system for determining if the indicium comprises fluorescent ink based upon a signal from the printer fluorescent ink sensor.

23. A printing device as in claim 22 wherein the printer fluorescent ink sensor is adapted to determine if the indicium comprises a minimum predetermined amount of fluorescence.

24. A printing device as in claim 22 wherein the printer fluorescent ink sensor is adapted to determine a quality of the indicium based upon a shape of a waveform signal from the printer fluorescent ink sensor.

25. A printing device as in claim 22 wherein the printer fluorescent ink sensor is adapted to differentiate between different inks.

26. A printing device as in claim 25 wherein the printer fluorescent ink sensor is adapted to differentiate between different fluorescent inks.

27. A printing device as in claim 22 further comprising an infrared (IR) detector adapted to sense black ink pigments.

28. A printing device as in claim 22 wherein the photodetector is adapted to sense at least two separate wavelengths and adapted to output a digital value based upon a detection threshold for each of the wavelengths.

29. A printing device as in claim 28 wherein the photodetector comprises a plurality of light-to-voltage sensors and a different filter with different transmission rates at each light-to-voltage sensor.

30. A printing device as in claim 22 wherein the printing device comprises a postage meter and the print head comprises a postage meter print head.

33. A printer fluorescent ink sensor as in claim 17 wherein the photodetector comprises a phototransistor including a band-pass filter.

31. A method of printing luminescent ink in a printing device comprising:

printing an indicium on an article at a print head of the printing device;

radiating energy towards the printed indicium; and

detecting energy emitted by the indicium at a sensing location in the printing device downstream of the print head.

32. A method as in claim 31 wherein the printing device comprises a postage meter, and printing of the indicium comprises printing a postage indicium on an article.