WIDTH DETECTING MEDIA HANGER
A printer comprises a processor; a media hanger comprising a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the media hanger; and a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively connected to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to: emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger, detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of media loaded on the media hanger, transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor; wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the media loaded on the media hanger based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.
The present invention relates to a printer, and more specifically, to a printer media hanger that detects a media width.
BACKGROUNDGenerally, the thermal printing industry suffers from a reliable method of detecting media or ribbon width that is both accurate and automatic. Conventional methods require user intervention where the user must adjust one or more guides on the sides of the media, and an approximate media width is determined from the distance between the guides.
A method and device that accurately determines a media width without requiring user input would increase the productivity of the thermal printer and the precision of the printing process.
SUMMARYAn embodiment of a printer comprises a processor; a media hanger comprising a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the media hanger; and a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively connected to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to: emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger, detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of media loaded on the media hanger, transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor; wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the media loaded on the media hanger based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.
In an embodiment, the emitter emits infra-red light, and the receiver detect infra-red light.
In an embodiment, each of the sensor pairs is spaced a known distance from adjacent sensor pairs.
In another embodiment, each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
In yet another embodiment, increasing a number of sensor pairs along the length of the media hanger correspondingly increases a measurement precision of the loaded media width.
In an embodiment, the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded medium with have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
In another embodiment, the width of the media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
In another embodiment, a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
In an embodiment, a transparent window covers the sensor array receiving space.
In another embodiment, light from the emitter is emitted at a known frequency, and the window is a bandpass filter that blocks light having frequencies outside the known frequency while passing light having the known frequency.
In an embodiment, a method comprises: emitting light from an emitter in a direction outward from a media hanger towards media loaded on the media hanger, the emitted light being generated by a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair comprising the emitter and a receiver; detecting the emitted light with the receiver after the emitted light has been reflected off a surface of the loaded media; transmitting a signal intensity of the emitted light detected by the receiver in each of the sensor pairs to a processor, the receiver from each sensor pair detecting light emitted from the corresponding emitter in the sensor pair; and processing the signal intensities detected by the receiver from each sensor pair to determine a width of the loaded media.
In an embodiment, each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
In another embodiment, the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded medium with have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
In yet another embodiment, the width of the media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
In an embodiment, a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
In an embodiment, a media hanger assembly comprises: a processor; a body comprising a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the body, and a light passing window extending along the length of the body; and a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively coupled to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to: emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger, detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of media loaded on the body, transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor; wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the media loaded on the body based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.
In an embodiment, each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
In another embodiment, the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded medium with have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
In another embodiment, the width of the media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
In an embodiment, a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which:
The following description is based on applications supporting a variety of types of media. The media may include, but not limited to, ribbon, paper, labels and tickets. The term “media/ribbon”, as used herein, refers to the variety of types of media. The term “media/ribbon” may also be referred to as a “roll of media/ribbon”. Also “media/ribbon” is equivalent to “media or ribbon”. A media hanger of a printer supports the media or ribbon.
As shown in
The media hanger 100 comprises a body 110, a sensor array receiving space 120, and a light passing opening 130. The body 110 has a first end 111, an opposite second end 112, and an outer surface 113.
The sensor array receiving space 120 is positioned along a length of the body 110. In an embodiment, the sensor array receiving space 120 is positioned along the entire length of the media hanger body 110. In another embodiment, the sensor array receiving space 120 positioned along a portion of the media hanger body 110. The sensor array receiving space 120 is positioned within the body 110 to form a groove-like shape having a sensor-mounting surface 121, two opposing sidewalls extending along the length of the sensor array receiving space 120, and two opposing endwalls 122a,122b into which the opposing sidewalls connect. The sidewalls and the endwalls 122a,122b extend orthogonally outward from the sensor-mounting surface 121 towards the outer surface 113 of the body 110.
The light passing opening 130 is positioned in the outer surface 113 of the body 110. The light passing opening 130 is correspondingly positioned over the sensor array receiving space 120. Light can be emitted outward or received in the sensor array receiving space 120 through the light passing opening 130.
In an embodiment shown in
As shown in the embodiments of
As shown in
Each of the sensor pairs 210 is spaced a known distance from adjacent sensor pairs 210. In an embodiment, each of the sensor pairs 210 is positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs 210. In another embodiment, each of the sensor pairs 210 is positioned apart at known, but unequal distances. For example, the density of sensor pairs 210 can vary along the length of the sensory array, where areas that correspond to common media widths will have a higher number of sensor pairs 210 (e.g. higher density) in that region that in areas that do not correspond to common media widths.
The number of sensor pairs 210 in the sensor array 200 can vary, wherein increasing a number of sensor pairs along a fixed length correspondingly increases a measurement precision when measuring a width of media loaded on the media hanger 100. For example, each sensor pair 210 can be positioned one sixteenth of an inch from adjacent sensor pairs 210, one eighth of an inch from adjacent sensor pairs 210, one quarter of an inch from adjacent sensor pairs 210, or any other spacing depending on the level of precision desired.
In other embodiments, the sensor array 200 comprises a contact image sensor (“CIS”) extending the length of the sensor array receiving space 120.
In another embodiment (not shown), the sensor array 200 comprises a plurality of receivers 212 without any corresponding emitters 211. In principle, this embodiment operates the opposite of the emitter/receiver pair embodiment, because the receivers receive either ambient light or an externally positioned emitter. For example, when media is installed on the media hanger 100, a portion of the receivers 212 is covered by the installed media and does not receive any light. Those covered receivers 212 would therefore have low signal intensity. However, the other portion of the receivers 212 would not be covered by the installed media, and would receive and detect either ambient light or light emitted from an externally positioned emitter. Those uncovered receivers 212 would therefore have high signal intensity relative to the covered receivers 212. The term externally positioned emitter refers an emitter that is positioned away from the sensor array 200, such as an LED positioned in a printer cover, etc. Determining a width of the installed media would be calculated in an opposite manner than the method used to calculate width in the emitter/receiver pair embodiment.
In an embodiment shown in
Assembly of the major components of the printer will now be described with reference to
A method 400 of determining a width of media installed on the media hanger 100 is described with reference to
The processing step at block 440 is based on the following principle: the sensor pairs 210 located proximate to the surface of the loaded media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs 210 located distal to the surface of the loaded medium with have a low signal intensity of reflected light. The width of the loaded media is determined by summing a total spacing length of sensor pairs 210 having the high signal intensity. Stated differently, since the distance between each sensor pair 210 is known, the distance between sensors pairs 210 having a high signal intensity of reflected light can be determined by adding the total distance between all of the sensor pairs 210 having the high signal intensity.
In an embodiment, an edge of the loaded media can be determined by identifying a transition of high signal intensity to low signal intensity in a group of the sensor pairs 210 located proximate to an edge of the loaded media. For example, as shown in
In an embodiment, when the printer 1 uses a media cap to secure loaded media on the media hanger 100, the edge of the loaded media can be determined by detecting the transition from high to low signal marking the width of the media (as previously described) plus the width of the media cap, and subtracting a known width of the media cap from the measured width. The media cap may also be known as an “end cap” or a “media retaining cap”.
In an embodiment shown in
To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporates entirely by reference the following patents, patent application publications, and patent applications:
- U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,832,725; 7,128,266;
- 7,159,783; 7,413,127;
- 7,726,575; 8,294,969;
- 8,317,105; 8,322,622;
- 8,366,005; 8,371,507;
- 8,376,233; 8,381,979;
- 8,390,909; 8,408,464;
- 8,408,468; 8,408,469;
- 8,424,768; 8,448,863;
- 8,457,013; 8,459,557;
- 8,469,272; 8,474,712;
- 8,479,992; 8,490,877;
- 8,517,271; 8,523,076;
- 8,528,818; 8,544,737;
- 8,548,242; 8,548,420;
- 8,550,335; 8,550,354;
- 8,550,357; 8,556,174;
- 8,556,176; 8,556,177;
- 8,559,767; 8,599,957;
- 8,561,895; 8,561,903;
- 8,561,905; 8,565,107;
- 8,571,307; 8,579,200;
- 8,583,924; 8,584,945;
- 8,587,595; 8,587,697;
- 8,588,869; 8,590,789;
- 8,596,539; 8,596,542;
- 8,596,543; 8,599,271;
- 8,599,957; 8,600,158;
- 8,600,167; 8,602,309;
- 8,608,053; 8,608,071;
- 8,611,309; 8,615,487;
- 8,616,454; 8,621,123;
- 8,622,303; 8,628,013;
- 8,628,015; 8,628,016;
- 8,629,926; 8,630,491;
- 8,635,309; 8,636,200;
- 8,636,212; 8,636,215;
- 8,636,224; 8,638,806;
- 8,640,958; 8,640,960;
- 8,643,717; 8,646,692;
- 8,646,694; 8,657,200;
- 8,659,397; 8,668,149;
- 8,678,285; 8,678,286;
- 8,682,077; 8,687,282;
- 8,692,927; 8,695,880;
- 8,698,949; 8,717,494;
- 8,717,494; 8,720,783;
- 8,723,804; 8,723,904;
- 8,727,223; 8,740,082;
- 8,740,085; 8,746,563;
- 8,750,445; 8,752,766;
- 8,756,059; 8,757,495;
- 8,760,563; 8,763,909;
- 8,777,108; 8,777,109;
- 8,779,898; 8,781,520;
- 8,783,573; 8,789,757;
- 8,789,758; 8,789,759;
- 8,794,520; 8,794,522;
- 8,794,525; 8,794,526;
- 8,798,367; 8,807,431;
- 8,807,432; 8,820,630;
- 8,822,848; 8,824,692;
- 8,824,696; 8,842,849;
- 8,844,822; 8,844,823;
- 8,849,019; 8,851,383;
- 8,854,633; 8,866,963;
- 8,868,421; 8,868,519;
- 8,868,802; 8,868,803;
- 8,870,074; 8,879,639;
- 8,880,426; 8,881,983;
- 8,881,987; 8,903,172;
- 8,908,995; 8,910,870;
- 8,910,875; 8,914,290;
- 8,914,788; 8,915,439;
- 8,915,444; 8,916,789;
- 8,918,250; 8,918,564;
- 8,925,818; 8,939,374;
- 8,942,480; 8,944,313;
- 8,944,327; 8,944,332;
- 8,950,678; 8,967,468;
- 8,971,346; 8,976,030;
- 8,976,368; 8,978,981;
- 8,978,983; 8,978,984;
- 8,985,456; 8,985,457;
- 8,985,459; 8,985,461;
- 8,988,578; 8,988,590;
- 8,991,704; 8,996,194;
- 8,996,384; 9,002,641;
- 9,007,368; 9,010,641;
- 9,015,513; 9,016,576;
- 9,022,288; 9,030,964;
- 9,033,240; 9,033,242;
- 9,036,054; 9,037,344;
- 9,038,911; 9,038,915;
- 9,047,098; 9,047,359;
- 9,047,420; 9,047,525;
- 9,047,531; 9,053,055;
- 9,053,378; 9,053,380;
- 9,058,526; 9,064,165;
- 9,064,165; 9,064,167;
- 9,064,168; 9,064,254;
- 9,066,032; 9,070,032;
- 9,076,459; 9,079,423;
- 9,080,856; 9,082,023;
- 9,082,031; 9,084,032;
- 9,087,250; 9,092,681;
- 9,092,682; 9,092,683;
- 9,093,141; 9,098,763;
- 9,104,929; 9,104,934;
- 9,107,484; 9,111,159;
- 9,111,166; 9,135,483;
- 9,137,009; 9,141,839;
- 9,147,096; 9,148,474;
- 9,158,000; 9,158,340;
- 9,158,953; 9,159,059;
- 9,165,174; 9,171,543;
- 9,183,425; 9,189,669;
- 9,195,844; 9,202,458;
- 9,208,366; 9,208,367;
- 9,219,836; 9,224,024;
- 9,224,027; 9,230,140;
- 9,235,553; 9,239,950;
- 9,245,492; 9,248,640;
- 9,250,652; 9,250,712;
- 9,251,411; 9,258,033;
- 9,262,633; 9,262,660;
- 9,262,662; 9,269,036;
- 9,270,782; 9,274,812;
- 9,275,388; 9,277,668;
- 9,280,693; 9,286,496;
- 9,298,964; 9,301,427;
- 9,313,377; 9,317,037;
- 9,319,548; 9,342,723;
- 9,361,882; 9,365,381;
- 9,373,018; 9,375,945;
- 9,378,403; 9,383,848;
- 9,384,374; 9,390,304;
- 9,390,596; 9,411,386;
- 9,412,242; 9,418,269;
- 9,418,270; 9,465,967;
- 9,423,318; 9,424,454;
- 9,436,860; 9,443,123;
- 9,443,222; 9,454,689;
- 9,464,885; 9,465,967;
- 9,478,983; 9,481,186;
- 9,487,113; 9,488,986;
- 9,489,782; 9,490,540;
- 9,491,729; 9,497,092;
- 9,507,974; 9,519,814;
- 9,521,331; 9,530,038;
- 9,572,901; 9,558,386;
- 9,606,581; 9,646,189;
- 9,646,191; 9,652,648;
- 9,652,653; 9,656,487;
- 9,659,198; 9,680,282;
- 9,697,401; 9,701,140;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D702,237;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D716,285;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D723,560;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D730,357;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D730,901;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D730,902;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D734,339;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D737,321;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D754,205;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D754,206;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D757,009;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D760,719;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D762,604;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D766,244;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D777,166;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D771,631;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D783,601;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D785,617;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D785,636;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D790,505;
- U.S. Design Pat. No. D790,546;
- International Publication No. 2013/163789;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0185432;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0134221;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0177080;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0177076;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0177707;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0177749;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0265880;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0202554;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0111946;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0168511;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0168512;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0193423;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0194692;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0203647;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0223141;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0228382;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0248188;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0043312;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0082104;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0175341;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0175343;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0257744;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0257759;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0270346;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0292475;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0292477;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0293539;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0293540;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0306728;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0306731;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0307964;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0308625;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0313324;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0332996;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0001267;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0025584;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0034734;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0036848;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0039693;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0049120;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0049635;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0061306;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0063289;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0066136;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0067692;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0070005;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0071840;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0074746;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0076974;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0097249;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0098792;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0100813;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0103115;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0104413;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0104414;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0104416;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0106725;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0108010;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0108402;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110485;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0125853;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0125999;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0129378;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0131443;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0133379;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0136208;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0140585;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0152882;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0158770;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0159869;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0166759;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0168787;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0175165;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0191684;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0191913;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0197304;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0214631;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0217166;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0231500;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0247315;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0263493;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0263645;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0270196;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0270229;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0278387;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0288933;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0297058;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0299665;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0332590;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0351317;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0362184;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0363015;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0369511;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0374483;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0374485;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0001301;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0001304;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0009338;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0014416;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0021397;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0028104;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0029002;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0032709;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0039309;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0039878;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0040378;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0049347;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0051992;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0053769;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0062366;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0063215;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0088522;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0096872;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0100196;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0102109;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0115035;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0127791;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0128116;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0133047;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0134470;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0136851;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0142492;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0144692;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0144698;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0149946;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0161429;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0178523;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0178537;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0178685;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0181109;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0199957;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0210199;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0212565;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0213647;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0220753;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0220901;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0227189;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0236984;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0239348;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0242658;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0248572;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0254485;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0261643;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0264624;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0268971;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0269402;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0288689;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0288896;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0310243;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0310244;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0310389;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0312780;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0327012;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0014251;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0025697;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0026838;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0026839;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0040982;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0042241;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0057230;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0062473;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0070944;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0092805;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0101936;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0104019;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0104274;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0109219;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0109220;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0109224;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0112631;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0112643;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0117627;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0124516;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0125217;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0125342;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0125873;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0133253;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0171597;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0171666;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0171720;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0171775;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0171777;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0174674;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0178479;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0178685;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0178707;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0179132;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0179143;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0179368;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0179378;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180130;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180133;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180136;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180594;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180663;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180678;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0180713;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0185136;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0185291;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0186926;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188861;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188939;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188940;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188941;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188942;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188943;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0188944;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189076;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189087;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189088;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189092;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189284;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189288;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189366;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189443;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189447;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0189489;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0192051;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0202951;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0202958;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0202959;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0203021;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0203429;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0203797;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0203820;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0204623;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0204636;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0204638;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0227912;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0232891;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0292477;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0294779;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0306769;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0314276;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0314294;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0316190;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0323310;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0325677;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0327614;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0327930;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0328762;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0330218;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0343163;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0343176;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0364914;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0370220;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0372282;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0373847;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0377414;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0377417;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0010141;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0010328;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0010780;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0016714;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0018094;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0046603;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0047864;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0053146;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0053147;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0053647;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0055606;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0060316;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0061961;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0064634;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0083730;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0091502;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0091706;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0091741;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0091904;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0092908;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0094238;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0098947;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0100949;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0108838;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0108895;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0118355;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0123598;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0124369;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0124396;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0124687;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0126873;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0126904;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0139012;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0140329;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0140731;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0147847;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0150124;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0169198;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0171035;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0171703;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0171803;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0180359;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0180577;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0181299;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0190192;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0193432;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0193461;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0193727;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0199266;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0200108;
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0200275;
In the specification and/or figures, typical embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. The present invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. The use of the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The figures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawn to scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims
1. A printer comprising:
- a processor;
- a media hanger comprising a body for supporting loaded media and a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the body; and
- a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively connected to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to: emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger, detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of a roll of media loaded on the media hanger, transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor;
- wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the roll of media loaded on the media hanger based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.
2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the emitter emits infra-red light, and the receiver detect infra-red light.
3. The printer of claim 1, wherein each of the sensor pairs is spaced a known distance from adjacent sensor pairs.
4. The printer of claim 3, wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
5. The printer of claim 3, wherein increasing a number of sensor pairs along the length of the media hanger correspondingly increases a measurement precision of the loaded media width.
6. The printer of claim 3, wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
7. The printer of claim 6, wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
8. The printer of claim 6, wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
9. The printer of claim 1, comprising a transparent window covering the sensor array receiving space.
10. The printer of claim 9, wherein the light from the emitter is emitted at a known frequency, and the window is a bandpass filter that blocks light having frequencies outside the known frequency while passing light having the known frequency.
11. A method comprising:
- emitting light from an emitter in a direction outward from a media hanger towards a roll of media supported by the media hanger, the emitted light being generated by a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair comprising the emitter and a receiver;
- detecting the emitted light with the receiver after the emitted light has been reflected off a surface of the loaded roll of media;
- transmitting a signal intensity of the emitted light detected by the receiver in each of the sensor pairs to a processor, the receiver from each sensor pair detecting light emitted from the corresponding emitter in the sensor pair; and
- processing the signal intensities detected by the receiver from each sensor pair to determine a width of the loaded roll of media.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
16. A media hanger assembly comprising:
- a processor;
- a body for supporting loaded media, the body comprising: a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the body, and a light passing window extending along the length of the body; and
- a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively coupled to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to: emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger, detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of a roll of media loaded on the body, transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor;
- wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the roll of media loaded on the body based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.
17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.
18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.
19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.
20. The assembly of claim 17, wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 19, 2017
Publication Date: Jun 20, 2019
Inventors: Chin Young Wong (Singapore), Sébastien Michel Marie Joseph d' Armancourt (Singapore)
Application Number: 15/846,958