Tri-State Detector

• US 20130177343A1
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Ehrhardt, Robert A. Jr., Lass, Robert Edward Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,168,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed-disabling devices responsible to material breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 31/14 Renovating or testing ink ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/18 Colour change effected automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided herein are devices, systems, methods and various means, including those related to printer systems and, more particularly, relate to methods, apparatuses, systems and other means for monitoring a printer ribbon. Some embodiments use a multi-element detector, which is configured to detect a particular type of light emitted from a light emitter. The multi-state detector can include two sensors, one of which includes a polarizer filter that blocks polarized light. Embodiments can be used to determine, among other things, whether or not a printer ribbon is installed in a printer without the use of a snap plate.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a light emitter configured to emit light into a field of view; and

a multi-element detector configured to indicate whether light is present in the field of view and whether polarized light is detected in the field of view.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-element detector further comprises:

a common photo detector configured to;

detect the light; and

generate a common light signal indicating whether the light was detected by the common photo detector; and

a polarized photo detector configured to;

detect the light; and

generate a signal associated with whether polarized light was detected by the polarized photo detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive the common light signal;

receive the polarized light signal; and

determine whether an inked portion of a printer ribbon is in the field of view based on the polarized light signal and the common light signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive the common light signal;

receive the polarized light signal; and

determine whether a non-inked portion of a printer ribbon is in the field of view based on the polarized light signal and the common light signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive the common light signal;

receive the polarized light signal; and

determine whether there is an absence of a printer ribbon in the field of view based on the polarized light signal and the common light signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the common photo detector and the polarized photo detector comprise the same type of light sensor; and

the polarized photo detector further comprises a polarizing filter.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the polarizing filter is a dichroic analyzer film.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is configured to shine the light onto a printer ribbon such that the light'"'"'s angle of incidence is within 5 degrees of Brewster'"'"'s angle associated with the printer ribbon'"'"'s material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to determine, based on indications provided by the multi-element detector, whether an inked portion of a printer ribbon is within the field of view, wherein the inked portion is black ink.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to determine, based on indications provided by the multi-element detector, whether an inked portion of a printer ribbon is within the field of view, wherein the inked portion is colored ink.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to determine, based on indications provided by the multi-element detector, whether an inked portion of a printer ribbon is within the field of view, wherein the inked portion is metallic ink.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light is infrared light.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-element detector comprises a cylindrical housing that is configured to reduce optical noise.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to output data representative of a determination made by the processor to a printer'"'"'s central processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine whether there is an absence of a printer ribbon in the field of view without using a snap plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is implemented in a printer.

17. A method, comprising:

emitting light into a field of view;

indicating whether the light is present in the field of view by signals from a multi-element detector; and

indicating whether at least a portion of the light is polarized by a signal from the multi-element detector.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein indicating whether the light is present comprises generating a common light signal indicating that the light was detected by the multi-element detector.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein indicating at least a portion of the light is polarized comprises generating a polarized light signal.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising in response to receiving, by a processor, indications whether the light is present and whether the light is polarized, determining whether an inked portion of a printer ribbon is in the field of view.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein emitting the light comprises shining the light onto a printer ribbon such that the light'"'"'s angle of incidence is within 5 degrees of Brewster'"'"'s angle associated with the printer ribbon'"'"'s material.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising using a polarizing filter to determine whether the light is polarized.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein using the polarizing filter comprises using a dichroic analyzer film.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein emitting the light into the field of view comprises emitting infrared light.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a cylindrical housing surrounding light sensors, the cylindrical housing configured to reduce optical noise received by the light sensors.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising outputting data to a processor of a printer representative of whether the light is present and whether the light is polarized.

27. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

emitting a second beam of light; and

failing to detect the second beam of light.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising, in response to failing to detect the second beam of light, determining there is the absence of a printer ribbon.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

reducing noise effects in the light detectors caused by rippling on the surface of a printer ribbon by electronic adjustment of the detector signals.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein,

the electronic adjustment is one or more of detector gain adjustment or detector signal scaling.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

reducing noise effects in the light detectors caused by rippling on the surface of a printer ribbon by spreading the incident light over a greater area of the surface of the ribbon.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

reducing noise effects in the light detectors caused by rippling on the surface of a printer ribbon by employing an array of multi-element light detectors.

33. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

reducing noise effects in the light detectors caused by rippling on the surface of a printer ribbon by adding physical damping features to the printer ribbon path.