AUDIO DETECTION OF MEDIUM JAM
A method of indicating a medium jam along a medium transport path; a plurality of microphones for detecting the sound of the medium being transported as it enters medium transport path and producing a signal representing the sound; a plurality of microphones for detecting the sound of the medium being transported in the medium transport path and producing a signal representing the sound in the medium transport; a plurality of microphones for detecting the sound of the medium being existing the medium transport path and producing a signal representing the sound of the medium existing the medium transport; a processor for producing sound values from the signal and computing the maximum sound responsive to the sound values per each microphone, and indicating the medium jam responsive to the sound values.
1 . A system for checking for medium jams along a medium transport path comprising:
one or more rollers for use in conveying the medium along the medium transport path;
at least one microphone for detecting the sound of the medium being transported and producing a signal representing the sound;
a processor configured to produce sound values from the signal and further configured to:
compute pre-transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region before the medium transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values;
compute transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region within the medium transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values;
compute post transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region within the post transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values;
compare the pre-transport path maximum values, transport path maximum values, and post-transport path maximum values to at least one threshold; and
indicate the presence of a medium jam when at least one of the pre-transport path maximum values, transport path maximum values, or post-transport path maximum values is greater than the at least one threshold.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values at entrance of the transport path.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values inside of the transport path.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values near an exit of the transport path.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to indicate the presence of a medium jam when at least one of the transport path maximum values is greater than a transport path threshold value.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to indicate the presence of medium jam when at least one of the post-transport path maximum values is greater than a post-transport path threshold value.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to indicate the presence of medium jam when at least one of the transport path maximum values is greater than a pre-transport path maximum value.
8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to indicate the presence of medium jam when at least one of the post-transport path maximum values is greater than a transport path maximum value.
9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to indicate the presence of medium jam when at least one of the pre-transport path maximum values is greater than a pre-transport path threshold value.
10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a medium jam location is identified by the at least one microphone producing a signal with a maximum value greater than a pre-transport path threshold value.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microphone includes a plurality of microphones.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to use a combination of signals from two or more of the plurality of microphones to compute the pre-transport path maximum values, transport path maximum values, and post-transport path maximum values and indicate a jam.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one microphone includes microphones positioned across the transport path, including a left microphone, right microphone, and middle microphone.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a location of a jam by comparing signals from the left microphone, right microphone, and middle microphone.
15 . A method for indicating a medium jam along a medium transport path comprising:
(a) conveying the medium along the medium transport path with one or more rollers;
(b) detecting, with at least one microphone, the sound of the medium being transported and producing a signal representing the sound;
(c) producing, with a processor, sound values from the signal and:
computing pre-transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region before the medium transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values;
computing transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region within the medium transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values;
computing post transport path maximum values responsive to the sound values from the at least one microphone from a region within the post transport path, including ignoring or weighting at least one of the sound values; and
indicating the presence of a medium jam when at least one of the re-transport path maximum values transport path maximum values or post-transport path maximum values is greater than the at least one threshold.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values at entrance of the transport path.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values inside of the transport path.
18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one microphone includes a microphone responsive to the sound values near an exit of the transport path.
19 . The method of claim 15 wherein indicating the presence of a medium jam comprises indicating a jam when at least one of the transport path maximum values is greater than a transport path threshold value.
20 . The method of claim 15 wherein indicating the presence of a medium jam comprises indicating a jam when at least one of the post-transport path maximum values is greater than a post-transport path threshold value.
21 . The method of claim 15 wherein indicating the presence of a medium jam comprises indicating a jam when at least one of the transport path maximum values is greater than a pre-transport path maximum value.
22 . The method of claim 15 wherein indicating the presence of a medium jam comprises indicating a jam when at least one of the post-transport path maximum values is greater than a transport path maximum value.
23 . The method of claim 15 wherein indicating the presence of a medium jam comprises indicating a jam when at least one of the pre-transport path maximum values is greater than a pre-transport path threshold value.
24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein a medium jam location is identified by the at least one microphone producing a signal with a maximum value greater than a pre-transport path threshold value.
25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one microphone includes a plurality of microphones.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein a processor combines signals from two or more of the plurality of microphones to compute the pre-transport path maximum values transport path maximum values and post-transport path maximum values and indicate a jam.
27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one microphone includes microphones positioned across the transport path, including a left microphone, right microphone, and middle microphone.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the processor detects a location of a jam by comparing signals from the left microphone, right microphone, and middle microphone.