Sensor Configuration to Indicate Available Media of a Printer
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorsSuwei Wang, Yong Liu, Bo Liu, Zhong Gui Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system to monitor available media in a printer is disclosed. The system may include a media holder that includes a support frame and a support member that extends from the support frame. The support member may be configured to receive a media roll. The system may include an optical sensor attached to the support frame of the media holder. The optical sensor may be configured to include an axial end of the media roll within a field of view of the optical sensor. The optical sensor may be configured to output sensor data that indicates whether the media roll has available media according to a radius of the axial end.
Claims20
A system to monitor available media in a printer, comprising:
- a media holder that includes:
- a support frame, and
- a support member that extends from the support frame,
- wherein the support member is configured to receive a media roll;
- and
- an optical sensor attached to the support frame of the media holder,
- wherein the optical sensor is configured to include an axial end of the media roll within a field of view of the optical sensor, and
- wherein the optical sensor is configured to output sensor data that indicates whether the media roll has available media according to a radius of the axial end.
A printer, comprising:
- a media holder that includes:
- a support frame, and
- a support member that extends from the support frame,
- wherein the support member is configured to receive a media roll;
- an optical sensor attached to the support frame of the media holder,
- wherein the optical sensor is positioned to have a field of view that is directed toward an axial end of the media roll, and
- wherein the optical sensor is configured to output sensor data that indicates whether the media roll has available media according to a radius of the axial end;
- and
- a controller that is configured to:
- determine, based on the sensor data, the radius of the axial end;
- and
- indicate, via an output component and based on the radius, the available media as a remaining quantity of the media roll.
A media holder for a printer comprising:
- a support frame;
- a support member that extends from the support frame,
- wherein the support member is configured to receive a media roll;
- and
- an optical sensor attached to the support frame of the media holder,
- wherein the optical sensor is positioned to have a field of view that is directed toward an axial end of the media roll, and
- wherein the optical sensor is configured to output sensor data that indicates, via an output component of the printer, whether the media roll has available media according to a radius of the axial end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.