Abstract:
Method and apparatus for determining the distance a sheet of paper, or other reflective or transmissive substrate material with a suitable, approximately planar surface, has moved in a given direction. The substrate is illuminated by reflection or transmission of light at non-normal incidence, and a linear array of N uniformly spaced light sensors is provide to receive and sense light issuing from the illuminated substrate. This produces a first or reference array of light signal strengths s. sub. 1 (k) (k=1,2,. . . , N). The substrate is then moved in the given direction, and a second array of signal strengths s. sub. 2 (k) (k=1, 2,. . . , N) is produced. A cross-correlation function C(K), formed from consecutive portions of the first and second light signal strength arrays, is then examined to determine the distance the substrate has moved in the given direction. A maximum in the cross-correlation function C(K) at K=K. sub. 0 corresponds to displacement of the substrate in the given direction by a distance approximately equal to (MF)(K. sub.