Paddle positioning system

1. A method comprising:

providing a developing agent device including a toner reservoir, capable of containing toner, including a toner engaging member capable of contacting toner;

providing a sensor within said developing agent device wherein said sensor is capable of providing signals;

sampling signals from said sensor;

determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor, wherein said signals are indicative of a location of said toner engaging member along a path within said toner reservoir; and

positioning said toner engaging member at a selected location along the path within said toner reservoir in response to said signals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor comprises:

monitoring an output voltage v of said sensor at a time n and a previous time n-x to provide an output voltage difference (v (n) −v (n-x) );

measuring a maximum voltage output v max and a minimum voltage output V min and calculating (v min −v max );

wherein said toner engaging member is determined to engage said sensor when

( v (n) −v (n-x) )> f ( v min −v max )

wherein f is a constant.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said developing agent device further includes an interference feature, wherein said toner engaging member deforms when contacting said interference feature.

4. The method of claim 3 , including the step of moving said toner engaging member and positioning said toner engaging member at a location other than in contact with said interference feature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said toner engaging member includes a wiper blade to engage said sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said sampling occurs at a time increment and wherein said time increment is between about 10-20 milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining when toner engages said sensor.

8. A method comprising:

providing a developing agent device, capable of containing toner, including a toner engaging member capable of contacting toner;

providing a sensor wherein said sensor is capable of providing signals;

sampling signals from said sensor; and

determining an event occurrence by monitoring an output voltage v of said sensor at a time n and a previous time n-x to provide an output voltage difference (v (n) −v (n-x) );

measuring a maximum voltage output v max and a minimum voltage output v min and calculating (v min −v max );

wherein said event is determined to occur when

( v (n) −v (n-x) )< f ( v min −v max )

wherein f is a constant and said event may be associated with said toner engaging member engaging said sensor and/or said toner engaging said sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 including the step of distinguishing between said toner engaging member engaging said sensor and toner engaging said sensor.

10. A printer comprising:

a toner containing device including a toner reservoir, capable of containing toner, including a toner engaging member capable of contacting toner;

a sensor wherein said toner engaging member is capable of engaging said sensor; and

a processor in communication with said sensor capable of sampling signals from said sensor and determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor, wherein said signals are indicative of a location of said toner engaging member along a path within a toner reservoir, and wherein said processor, during operation, positions said toner engaging member at a selected location along the path within said toner reservoir in response to said signals.

11. The printer of claim 10 , wherein said step of determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor includes said processor being further capable of monitoring an output voltage v of said sensor at a time n and a previous time n-x to provide the output voltage difference (v (n) —v (n-x) ), measuring a maximum voltage output v max and v min and calculating (v min −v max ); wherein said toner engaging member is determined to engage said sensor when

( v (n) −v (n-x) )< f ( v min −v max )

wherein f is a constant.

12. The printer of claim 10 , wherein said toner containing device further comprises an interference feature, wherein said toner engaging member is capable of deforming upon contact with said interference feature.

13. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following operations:

sampling signals from a sensor;

determining when a toner engaging member engages said sensor, wherein said signals are indicative of a location of said toner engaging member along a path within a toner reservoir in a toner containing device; and

positioning said toner engaging member in said toner containing device at a selected location along the path within said toner reservoir in response to said signals.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein said instructions that when executed by said machine in determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor result in the following additional operations:

monitoring an output voltage v of said sensor at a time n and a previous time n-x to provide the output voltage difference (v (n) −v (n-x) );

measuring a maximum voltage output v max and v min and calculating(v min −v max );

wherein said toner engaging member is determined to engage said sensor when

( v (n) −v (n-x) )< f ( v min −v max )

wherein f is a constant.

15. A toner cartridge comprising:

a toner containing device including a toner reservoir, capable of containing toner, including a toner engaging member capable of contacting toner;

a sensor wherein said toner engaging member is capable of engaging said sensor and said sensor is capable of communicating with a processor which is capable of sampling signals from said sensor and determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor, wherein said signals are indicative of a location of said toner engaging member along a path within said toner reservoir, and wherein said toner engaging member is configured to be positioned at a selected location along the path within said toner reservoir in response to said signals.

16. The toner cartridge of claim 15 , wherein said step of determining when said toner engaging member engages said sensor includes said processor being further capable of monitoring an output voltage v of said sensor at a time n and a previous time n-x to provide the output voltage difference (v (n) —v (n-x) ); measuring a maximum voltage output v max and v min and calculating (v min −v max ); wherein said toner engaging member is determined to engage said sensor when

( v (n) −v (n-x) )< f ( v min −v max )

wherein f is a constant.

17. The toner cartridge of claim 15 , wherein said toner containing device further comprises an interference feature, wherein said toner engaging member is capable of deforming upon contact with said interference feature.