Applying marks to a surface of a medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964472-B2
Application number	US-201817261048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An optical sensor device ( 10 ) includes an application module ( 12 ) for applying an irregular pattern of marks to a surface of a medium and an optical detector module ( 14 ). The optical detector module ( 14 ) acquires images of the applied marks and may determine an advancement speed of the medium based on the acquired images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical sensor device, comprising:
an application module for applying an irregular pattern of marks to a surface of a medium; and
an optical detector module for acquiring images of the applied marks and for determining an advancement speed of the medium based on the acquired images,
wherein the application module comprises a reservoir and an application device that is in contact with marking fluid provided in the reservoir and with the medium.

2. The optical sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein multiple application modules are provided to apply multiple patterns of marks to the surface.

3. The optical sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein the multiple application modules are positioned such that the patterns of marks generated by the multiple application modules are spaced in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the advancement direction of the medium.

4. The optical sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the irregular pattern of marks comprises marks with a variation of different shapes.

5. The optical sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the irregular pattern of marks comprises a variation of distances between adjacent marks.

6. The optical sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the application device comprises a starwheel, which is pivot-mounted in a position wherein it is partially submerged in the marking fluid in the reservoir.

7. The optical sensor device according to claim 6 wherein an axis of rotation of the starwheel is resiliently movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the advancement direction of the medium.

8. The optical sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the applied marks is smaller than 0.2 mm.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Qian Li
• Lopez Ubieto Diego
• Guerrero Carvajal Francisco

Classifications

• B41J11/46 Primary

  by marks or formations on the paper being fed · CPC title

• B41J11/42

  Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering} · CPC title

• B41J11/44

  by devices, e.g. program tape or contact wheel, moved in correspondence with movement of paper-feeding devices, e.g. platen rotation · CPC title

• G01P3/38

  using photographic means · CPC title

• G06V10/225

  based on a marking or identifier characterising the area · CPC title