Spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus and method of obtaining spectral characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11906356-B2
Application number	US-202217876087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus and a method of obtaining spectral characteristics. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus includes a conveyor including a first conveyance roller pair disposed in a conveyance direction in which an object is conveyed and a second conveyance roller pair disposed downstream from the first conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction, a sensor to detect that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair, circuitry to control the second conveyance roller pair to drive by a predetermined amount with a driving force greater than a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair upon detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair by the sensor and to stop driving, and a color data obtainer to obtain color data from the object at a position where the object stops moving. In the spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus, the circuitry estimates a spectral characteristic of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus comprising:
a conveyor including
a first conveyance roller pair;
a second conveyance roller pair downstream from the first conveyance roller pair in a conveyance direction;

a sensor configured to detect that an object conveyed in the conveyance direction has reached the second conveyance roller pair;
a pressurizer configured to apply pressure to the object;
a color data obtainer configured to obtain color data from the object at a position where the object stops moving; and
circuitry configured to
cause the pressurizer to apply pressure to the object in response to the sensor detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair,
cause the second conveyance roller pair to drive with a driving force greater than a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair in response to the pressurizer applying pressure to the object, and

estimate a spectral characteristic of the object based on the color data obtained by the color data obtainer.

2. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to cause the second roller pair to drive the object with the driving force greater than the driving force of the first conveyance roller pair, while the pressurizer is pressing the object.

3. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to
turn off a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair in response to detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair by the sensor, and
turn on the driving force of the first conveyance roller pair in response to the second conveyance roller pair being driven by an amount.

4. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to
disengage a clutch used to convey driving force to the first conveyance roller pair in response to detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair by the sensor, and
engage the clutch in response to the second conveyance roller pair being driven by an amount.

5. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second conveyor configured to convey the color data obtainer in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction.

6. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is downstream from the second conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction.

7. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conveyor is configured to convey the object at a first conveyance speed, and reduce conveyance speed of the object from the first conveyance speed to a second conveyance speed before the sensor detects that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair.

8. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second conveyance roller pair includes the pressurizer.

9. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the pressurizer includes an arm configured to cause a first roller of the second conveyance roller pair to press against a second roller of the second conveyance roller pair.

10. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the color data obtainer is configured to obtain the color data from the object in response to the second conveyance roller pair driving an amount with the pressurize applying pressure.

11. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveyance roller pair is configured to rotate by being pulled by the object when the second conveyance roller pair drives the driving force greater than the first conveyance roller pair.

12. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the first conveyance roller pair and the second conveyance roller pair to stop conveying the object in response to the sensor detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair.

13. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the pressurizer to apply pressure to the object in response to the object stopping in the conveyance direction.

14. A method of acquiring a spectral characteristic, the method comprising:
conveying an object in a conveyance direction from a first conveyance roller pair to a second conveyance roller pair downstream from the first conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction;
detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair;
applying pressure, via a pressurizer, to the object in response to detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair;
driving the second conveyance roller pair with a driving force greater than a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair in response to the pressurizer applying pressure to the object;
obtaining color data from the object at a position where the object is stopped; and
estimating a spectral characteristic of the object based on the color data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second conveyance roller pair includes the pressurizer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pressurizer includes an arm configured to cause a first roller of the second conveyance roller pair to press against a second roller of the second conveyance roller pair.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the obtaining the color data from the object includes obtaining the color data from the object in response to the second conveyance roller pair driving an amount with the pressurizer applying pressure.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first conveyance roller pair is configured to rotate by being pulled by the object when the second conveyance roller pair drives the driving force greater than the first conveyance roller pair.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
stopping conveyance of the object in response to detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the applying pressure includes applying the pressure in response to the stopping the conveyance of the object.

Assignees

• Koike Toshio
• Kikuchi Nobuo
• Ozasa Dan
• Shimbo Kohei
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koike Toshio
• Kikuchi Nobuo
• Ozasa Dan
• Shimbo Kohei

Classifications

• G01J3/0202 Primary

  Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements · CPC title

• G01J3/0267

  Sample holders for colorimetry · CPC title

• G01N21/251

  Colorimeters; Construction thereof · CPC title

• G01N21/255

  Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems · CPC title

• G01N33/346

  Paper sheets · CPC title