System and method for metallic object detection in a media transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486929-B2
Application number	US-201815933874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting the presence of metallic objects in media to be conveyed in a medium transport system are disclosed. One or more induction sensors are included in the medium transport system to detect the presence of metal in the transported media, with detection signals sent from the sensors to a system processing unit. An ultrasonic detector is employed in some embodiments to output another detection signal. One or more microphones may also be included, for detecting the sound created as the medium is being transported. The system processing unit analyzes various detection signals and analyzes computed sound values from the microphones, to determine the presence and location of metal in the media. A position jam detector may assist in determining jams of the media along the medium transport path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting metallic objects in media to be input into a media transport system, comprising:
an input tray configured to hold the media to be fed into the media transport system;
one or more rollers configured to convey the media from the input tray and along a medium transport path, the one or more rollers driven by one or more motors;
a plurality of induction sensors configured to detect a presence of metallic material and output a metallic detection signal, wherein the plurality of induction sensors is disposed across a width of the medium transport path, thereby establishing zones for detection of metallic material in the media, the zones capable of individual activation and deactivation; and
a processing unit in communication with the one or more induction sensors, the processing unit configured to receive the metallic detection signal and determine, based on the metallic detection signal, whether the media contains a metallic object and a location of the metallic object on the media.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least two induction sensors disposed at an angle with respect to each other, with the processing unit configured to determine the location of the metallic object, based on the positioning of the at least two induction sensors relative to the media transport path.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a timer unit configured to determine at least two time delay values, with the processing unit configured to determine a location of the metallic object with respect to a lead-edge of the media and based on the at least two time delay values.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an interface providing at least one of system configuration information and notices of metallic object detection.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media transport system includes a lower media guide and an upper media guide, and wherein at least one of the one or more induction sensors is mounted on the lower media guide or the upper media guide.

6. A system for detecting metallic objects in media to be input into a media transport system, comprising:
an input tray configured to hold the media to be fed into the media transport system;
one or more rollers configured to convey the media from the input tray and along a medium transport path, the one or more rollers driven by one or more motors;
a plurality of induction sensors disposed across a width of the medium transport path, thereby establishing zones for detection of metallic material in the media, the zones capable of individual activation and deactivation, wherein the induction sensors have differing sensitivities for detecting a presence of metallic material and the induction sensors are configured to detect a presence of metallic material in the media and output a metallic detection signal; and
a processing unit in communication with the induction sensors, the processing unit configured to receive the metallic detection signal and determine whether the media contains a metallic object, and the processing unit further configured to determine the location of the metallic object on the media, based on the metallic detection signal.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a position jam detector configured to receive information regarding the location of the metallic object and determine whether a positional jam of the media has occurred along the medium transport path.

8. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one microphone located along the medium transport path, the at least one microphone configured to detect a sound of the medium being transported and produce a sound signal representing the sound of the media.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the sound signal and indicate a presence of a metallic object in the media based on the sound signal and the metallic detection signal.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a multi-feed detector having a detection sensitivity dynamically optimized, by the processing unit, based on a thickness of the media.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more rollers are mounted on shafts and the plurality of induction sensors are configured to detect displacement of the shafts.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the displacement of the shafts is utilized by the processing unit to determine media location information.

13. A system for detecting metallic objects in media to be input into a media transport system, comprising:
an input tray configured to hold the media to be fed into the media transport system;
one or more rollers configured to convey the media from the input tray and along a medium transport path, the one or more rollers driven by one or more motors;
one or more induction sensors positioned proximate to the medium transport path, wherein the one or more induction sensors are configured to detect presence of metallic material and output a metallic detection signal;
an ultrasonic detector configured to output an ultrasonic detection signal; and
a processing unit configured to receive the metallic detection signal and the ultrasonic detection signal and determine whether the media contains a metallic object, the processing unit further configured to determine the location of the metallic object on the media based on the metallic detection signal and the ultrasonic detection signal.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
at least one microphone located along the medium transport path, the at least one microphone configured to detect a sound of the medium being transported and produce a sound signal representing the sound of the media.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the sound signal and indicate a presence of a metallic object in the media based on at least one of the sound signal, the metallic detection signal, and the ultrasonic detection signal.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a timer unit configured to determine at least two time delay values;
the processing unit configured to determine a location of the metallic object with respect to a lead-edge of the media calculated and the at least two time delay values.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
an interface providing at least one of system configuration information and notices of metallic object detection.

Assignees

• Kodak Alaris Inc

Inventors

• Link Bruce
• Fagan John
• Middleton Thomas
• Phinney Daniel

Classifications

• H04N2201/0081

  Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2511/521

  Presence of foreign object or undesirable material, i.e. material of another nature than the handled material · CPC title

• B65H2701/12422

  codes or the like which can be used for further processing, e.g. relative to consumed or still available material · CPC title

• H04N1/00588

  to the scanning position (H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65H7/20

  Controlling associated apparatus · CPC title