Media width sensing

• US 10,057,442 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec Technologies Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec Technologies Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Boon Hao, Ching, Sze Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US15/879,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 208 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0057 Conveying sheets before or after scanning arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00708 Size or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0071 Width
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00718 Skew
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00724 Type of sheet, e.g. colour of paper or transparency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header

Abstract

Printing a graphic media product is described. The media product has an indicia marked on a media substrate. An installation of a supply of the media substrate is detected. A sensor is activated based on the detection of the installation. The activated sensor measures a width of the installed media substrate. A center position of the media substrate is computed based on the measured width. The marking of the indicia upon the media substrate is aligned relative to the computed center position of the media substrate.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a print mechanism;

a feeding mechanism for supplying a media substrate to the print mechanism;

a detector operable for detecting an installation of the media substrate for feeding to the print mechanism;

a sensor operable for measuring a width of the installed media substrate, wherein the sensor is configured to count truncated calibration dots positioned on the left and right of the media substrate; and

a processor operable for;

computing a center position of the media substrate based on the measured width; and

printing a graphic media product on the media substrate such that the printed graphic media product is aligned relative to the computed center position of the media substrate.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feed mechanism is configured to feed the media substrate to the print mechanism along a direction of the feeding and the printing of the graphic media product.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to activate the sensor upon detecting the installation of the media substrate.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computed center position is located along a line running longitudinally along a length of a plane corresponding to a surface of the media substrate and equidistant between a pair of opposing lateral edges thereof.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor is operable for measuring the length of the plane over the surface of the fed media substrate.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the length is measured along the longitudinal line on which the computed center position is located.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, comprising an input mechanism operable for inputting one or more setting adjustments over an adjustment range in relation to configuring a setting corresponding to the measured width.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media substrate comprises a plurality of marks disposed along at least one line perpendicular to one or more of a line running longitudinally along a length of a plane corresponding to a surface of the media substrate and equidistant between a pair of opposing lateral edges thereof, and each of a pair of opposing lateral edges.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the media substrate comprises a plurality of gaps between each of the marks, wherein the gaps comprise one or more of a shade or a brightness at least approximating a shade or a brightness of the media substrate, wherein the marks comprise one or more of a shade, or a brightness darker than that of the gaps.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein one or more of the measuring the width of the installed media substrate with the sensor, or the computing the center position of the media substrate based on the measured width, comprises counting at least one of the gaps or the marks.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphic media product comprises an indicia marked upon the media substrate.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is implemented on a data network, wherein the data network comprises of a plurality of sub-networks.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a print mechanism;

a sensor operable for measuring a width of a media substrate supplied to the print mechanism, wherein the sensor is configured to count truncated calibration dots positioned on the left and right of the media substrate; and

a processor operable for;

computing a center position of the media substrate based on the measured width; and

printing a graphic media product on the media substrate such that the printed graphic media product is aligned relative to the computed center position of the media substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a feed mechanism for supplying the media substrate to the print mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a detector for detecting the installation of the media substrate and activating the sensor to measure the width of the media substrate.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the computed center position is located along a line running longitudinally along a length of a plane corresponding to a surface of the media substrate and equidistant between a pair of opposing lateral edges thereof;

the sensor is operable for measuring the length of the plane over the surface of the media substrate; and

the length is measured along the longitudinal line on which the computed center position is located.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a print mechanism;

a sensor operable for measuring a width of a media substrate supplied to the print mechanism, wherein the sensor is configured to count truncated calibration dots positioned on the left and right of the media substrate;

an input mechanism for receiving input to configure a setting corresponding to the measured width; and

a processor operable for;

computing a center position of the media substrate based on the measured width; and

printing a graphic media product on the media substrate such that the printed graphic media product is aligned relative to the computed center position of the media substrate.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising a feed mechanism for supplying the media substrate to the print mechanism.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising a detector for detecting the installation of the media substrate and activating the sensor to measure the width of the media substrate.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the computed center position is located along a line running longitudinally along a length of a plane corresponding to a surface of the media substrate and equidistant between a pair of opposing lateral edges thereof;

the sensor is operable for measuring the length of the plane over the surface of the media substrate; and

the length is measured along the longitudinal line on which the computed center position is located.