Xerox Corporation

Douglas A Kreckel

Scott M Silence

Eric Michael Gross

R Enrique Viturro

Charles H Tabb

Jane M Kanehl

Lalit Keshav Mestha

Gary Allen Denton

Eric Scott Hamby

Patricia Joanne Donaldson

Mark A Scheuer

Paul F Sawicki

Ralph A Shoemaker

Sohail A Dianat

Joseph A Mastrandrea

Raymond L Mongeon

Jean A Maksymiak

Bharathi Venkitaraman

The present disclosure provides for an imaging machine having an imaging member including a method for maintaining a toner concentration. The method for maintaining the toner concentration comprises: determining a toner concentration (TC) measurement using a sensor; computing a state estimator output from the TC measurement and a pre-stored estimator gain matrix, K; computing an estimated target state from the state estimator and a pre-stored controller gain matrix, K; computing a duty cycle from the estimated target state, pixel count data, and pre-stored target decomposer output; and, updating the duty cycle by repeating the above method for the next TC cycle.

Toner concentration system control with state estimators and state feedback methods

An enhanced toner area coverage (ETAC) sensor may be calibrated to adjust for changes in LED intensity by determining a functional relationship between specular developed mass per unit area (DMA) values and diffuse readings obtained from the sensor. Specular and diffuse readings are obtained from an ETAC sensor that senses reflected light from toner patches generated with incrementally increasing densities on the photoreceptor belt. The specular readings in a particular range and their corresponding diffuse readings are selected for the calibration computations. Reflected ratios are computed from the specular readings and used to determine specular DMAs. The specular DMAs and selected diffuse readings define a set of points for which a functional relationship is determined.

Method and system for calibrating a reflection infrared densitometer in a digital image reproduction machine

The present invention generally relates to a digital imaging system or a light lens based imaging system. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for calculating toner age and, additionally, carrier age using a toner concentration sensor and the amount of material dispensed. Both of these quantities can be used to ensure image quality by anticipating or diagnosing problems in image quality, which may be caused by toner age or carrier age.

Method for calculating toner age and a method for calculating carrier age for use in print engine diagnostics

A method for sensing toner concentration in a developer housing with an optical system containing developer material including toner and carrier, the method, including: emitting light with the optical system through a viewing window in the developer housing onto developer material in the housing; sensing the light reflected off the developer material with the optical system; calculating a toner concentration measurement based upon the sensed light reflected off the developer material; and compensating the toner concentration measurement to account for optical variation due to the developer material condition.

Compensating optical measurements of toner concentration for toner impaction

The present invention relates to utilizing memory provided in a machine replaceable sub-assembly to be a medium of distribution for software code updates to that machine relating as to how that machine should operate. In one alternative, there is provided a method for operating a machine employing the steps of providing a replaceable sub-assembly separable from the machine, the replaceable sub-assembly further comprising a wireless interface and a memory in which is stored software code of executable instructions. The method further provides communicating via the wireless interface with the replaceable sub-assembly to store software code of executable instructions relating to the operation of the machine into the memory. The method then provides placing the replaceable sub-assembly into the machine, reading the memory, placing the stored software code of executable instructions into the machine as new machine software code, and then operating the machine in accordance with the new software code. In this way, the replaceable sub-assembly becomes the medium for the machine's software updates.

Machine post-launch process optimization through wireless connected customer replaceable unit memory

The present invention relates to utilizing memory provided in a machine replaceable sub-assembly to be one medium of distribution for software code updates to that machine relating as to how that machine should use that replaceable sub-assembly. In one embodiment, there is provided a replaceable sub-assembly for use in a machine at various setpoints including a memory and further including upgraded executable instruction suitable for directing the machine to use the replaceable sub-assembly with different setpoints, where the upgraded executable instruction is stored in the memory. In this way, the replaceable sub-assembly becomes the medium for it's own or another's software updates.

Post-launch process optimization of replaceable sub-assembly utilization through customer replaceable unit memory programming

A toner maintenance system for an electrophotographic developer unit, including a sump for storing a quantity of developer material comprised of toner material; a first member for transporting developer material from the sump, a viewing window, in communication with toner material, in the sump; an optical sensor, for measuring reflected light off the viewing window and toner material, and generating a signal indicative thereof. A toner concentration controller is adapted to receive a signal from the optical sensor and to generate an &ldquo;Add Toner&rdquo; signal to replenish toner material in the sump.

Optical toner concentration sensor

An apparatus for illuminating a photoconductive surface. The apparatus includes a housing defining a chamber and an open end. An imaging device is placed in the housing chamber. The imager transmits light rays through the open end of the housing to the photoconductive surface. An air pump is coupled to the housing. The air pump maintains an outwardly directed flow of air from the open end of the housing so as to move particles away from the open end. Electrically biased electrodes are located between the imaging device and the photoconductive surface. They attract the particles so as to prevent the particles from contaminating the imaging device.

Imaging device with positive air pressure and electrostatic precipitator

An electrostatic voltmeter adjacent to the surface of a photoreceptor belt or drum between, for example, the electrostatographic imaging station and developing station. A surface of the photoreceptor is charged at a charging station and the charged area is rotated and stopped adjacent to the electrostatic voltmeter. After a predetermined period of time, the surface potential of the charged area is measured by the voltmeter. Additional measurements can be made at subsequent times to determine a dark decay rate of the charged photoreceptor. Surface potentials at other areas adjacent the photoreceptor surface, such as in the development zone, can be determined based on the initial voltage applied to the photoreceptor surface at the charging station and the rate of dark decay. The invention allows for close monitoring/control of the surface potential at one or a plurality of development zones without the need for locating voltmeters within each development zone.

Park and ride method for determining photoreceptor potentials

A method for electroforming relatively smooth seamless nickel, cobalt or nickel-cobalt alloy foil cylinders from an electrolyte for nickel or cobalt is provided comprising slowly increasing the current density from zero to its ultimate current density at the start up of the plating cycle.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Douglas A Kreckel