Abstract: An infrared densitometer which measures the reflectivity of a selected region on a moving photoconductive belt covered at least partially with marking particles. Collimated light rays are projected onto the selected region of the moving photoconductive member with or without marking particles thereon. The light rays reflected from the selected region of the moving photoconductive member are collected and directed onto a photodiode array. A photodiode array generates electrical signals proportional to the diffuse component of the total reflectivity of the selected region of the photoconductive member with and without marking particles thereon. Circuitry determines a control signal as a function of the difference in electrical signals.

Abstract: A densitometer which measures the reduction in the specular component of the reflectivity of a portion of a surface having a liquid deposited thereon. Collimated light rays, in the visible spectrum, are projected onto the portion of the surface having the liquid thereon. The light rays reflected from the portion of the surface having the liquid deposited thereon are collected and directed onto a photodiode array. The photodiode array generates electrical signals proportional to the total flux and the diffuse component of the total flux of the reflected light rays. Circuitry compares the electrical signals and determines the difference therebetween to generate an electrical signal proportional to the specular component of the total flux of the reflected light rays.

Abstract: A flash exposure photocopier provides a mechanism for automatically controlling photoreceptor exposure levels to compensate for the effects of documents having backgrounds of different densities. A photosensor and lens assembly is located within a flash housing in a position whereby a large portion of the document is imaged by the lens onto the surface of a chip having a plurality of individual photosensors contained thereon. The outputs of each photosensor are integrated and applied to a comparator set at a particular reference level. The comparator output controls the duration of the flash source so as to quench lamp operation when an input level is reached corresponding to the particular reference level set. The integrated photosensor outputs are also summed and a signal representing their average value is compared to the signal which triggers the comparator. The ratio of these signals is used to identify documents with high area coverage and hence high toner usage.