Color sensor to measure single separation, mixed color or IOI patches
First Claim
1. A method of calibrating a marking engine that includes a photoreceptor transfer device having at least a first area on a surface of the photoreceptor transfer device, the at least first area receiving at least one color of marking material that is a portion of an image, the photoreceptor transfer device conveying the marking material to at least one of another transfer device or an output substrate, the method comprising:
- disposing at least one toned patch in a second area of the photoreceptor transfer device, the second area being located on the surface of the photoreceptor transfer device; and
illuminating the disposed toned patch or image;
measuring a reflectance value for the toned patch or image to obtain a measured reflectance value for the toned patch or image in response to the illumination; and
based on the measured reflectance value, performing a color calibration for use in a marking operation,wherein illuminating the at least one toned patch or image comprises illuminating the at least one toned patch or image with an illumination wavelength outside the photo response range of the photoreceptor transfer device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A marking engine forms one or more toned patches and/or images on a photoreceptor transfer device such as a photoreceptor belt or drum, either within or outside a main image area. A sensor illuminates the tones patches and/or images on the photoreceptor transfer device using wavelengths outside the photo response range of the photoreceptor transfer device, thereby allowing reflectance values for each toned patch and/or image to be measured without generating ghost images on the photoreceptor transfer device. The sensor supports collection of measured reflectance values from single-color, mixed-color; and multi-separation image-on-image toned patches and/or images directly from the photoreceptor transfer device at rates as high as one or more times per revolution of the photoreceptor transfer device. The measured reflectance values may be used to generate and/or update color stabilization tone reproduction curves.
29 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of calibrating a marking engine that includes a photoreceptor transfer device having at least a first area on a surface of the photoreceptor transfer device, the at least first area receiving at least one color of marking material that is a portion of an image, the photoreceptor transfer device conveying the marking material to at least one of another transfer device or an output substrate, the method comprising:
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disposing at least one toned patch in a second area of the photoreceptor transfer device, the second area being located on the surface of the photoreceptor transfer device; and illuminating the disposed toned patch or image; measuring a reflectance value for the toned patch or image to obtain a measured reflectance value for the toned patch or image in response to the illumination; and based on the measured reflectance value, performing a color calibration for use in a marking operation, wherein illuminating the at least one toned patch or image comprises illuminating the at least one toned patch or image with an illumination wavelength outside the photo response range of the photoreceptor transfer device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of calibrating a marking engine that includes a photoreceptor transfer device having at least a first area on a surface of the photoreceptor transfer device, the at least first area receiving at least one color of marking material that is a portion of an image, the photoreceptor transfer device conveying the marking material to at least one of another transfer device or an output substrate, the method comprising:
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disposing at least one toned patch in a second area of the photoreceptor transfer device, the second area being located on the surface of the photoreceptor transfer device; and illuminating the disposed toned patch or image; measuring a reflectance value for the toned patch or image to obtain a measured reflectance value for the toned patch or image in response to the illumination; and based on the measured reflectance value, performing a color calibration for use in a marking operation, wherein illuminating the toned patch or image comprises illuminating the toned patch or image with a wavelength below 500 nm or above 900 nm. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A marking system comprising:
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a photoreceptor transfer device that includes a plurality of first areas receiving at least one color of marking material that is a portion of an image and conveying the marking material to one of another transfer device or to an output substrate and a plurality of second areas receiving a toned patch; a first storage device adapted to store a toned patch pattern for a toned patch; a marking engine that marks a desired image in at least one of the plurality of first areas, and marks a toned patch in at least one of the plurality of second areas of the photoreceptor transfer device based on the stored toned patch pattern; at least one illumination source that illuminates the toned patch or image; a monitoring circuit that measures a reflectance value for the toned patch or image to obtain a measured reflectance value for the toned patch or image; and a calibration processor that, based on the measured reflectance value, performs a color calibration for use in a marking operation, wherein the calibration processor determines at least one tone reproduction curve based on a plurality of measured reflectance values, and the at least one illumination source illuminates a toned patch or image with an illumination wavelength outside the photo response range of the photoreceptor transfer device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification