Media detectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020238735-A1
Application number	US-201716634963-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A printing apparatus determines a change in torque of a motor that moves a pick arm for translating print media, determines based on the change in torque whether a media in present adjacent to the pick arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions that are executable by the processor to: determine a change in torque of a motor, the motor to power a pick arm for translating media; determine whether the change in torque is within a torque threshold; and in response to the change in torque being within the torque threshold, determine that a media is present adjacent to a pick arm.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine whether a level of media in a media bin is less than a low media threshold; in response to a determination that the media in the media bin is less than the low media threshold, lower the pick arm from a rest position to a pick ready position; and translate the media on the media bin until the media buckles against a buckling surface opposite the pick arm.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine whether a level of the media in a media bin is less than a low media threshold; and in response to a determination that the media in the media bin is less than the low media threshold, control the pick roller to buckle the media in the media bin between the pick arm and a buckling surface opposite a pick arm.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine, based on the determined change in torque, a stiffness value of media on a media bin; and determine, based on the stiffness value of the media, a type of media on the media bin.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine, based on the determined change in torque, whether an accessory is present.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine, based on the determined change in torque, whether a media bin contains no media.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine, based on the determined change in torque, whether a media bin is present or is not present.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the pick arm; and a media bin for storing the media.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine a magnitude of change in the torque of the motor; and determine a type of media based on the magnitude of change in torque.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
in response to a determination that media is present on a media bin, reset media translated during a media detection in the media bin.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
in response to a determination that media is not present on a media bin, determine a magnitude of change in torque; and determine presence of an accessory.

12 . A printing apparatus comprising:
a processor; and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions that are to cause the processor to: determine a torque signature of a motor, the motor being to translate a pick arm for translating media from a media bin; determine whether the determined torque signature matches a reference torque signature, the reference torque signature describing the torque signature of an accessory; and in response to a determination that the torque signature of the motor matches the reference torque signature, determine that an accessory is present.

13 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein to determine whether the determined torque signature matches a reference torque, the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine whether the determined torque signature has the same number of peaks as the reference torque signature; and in response to a determination that the determined torque signature has the same number of peaks, determine that the torque signature of the motor matches the reference torque signature.

14 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein to determine whether the torque signature matches a reference torque, the instructions are further to cause the processor to:
determine whether the determined torque signature has a peak of similar magnitude to a peak in the reference torque signature; and in response to a determination that the determined torque signature has a peak of similar magnitude, determine that the torque signature of the motor matches the reference torque signature.

15 . A method comprising:
determining a torque change of a motor, the motor being to translate a pick arm for translating media from a media bin; determining a slope of the torque change; determining, a presence of a media on the media bin, based on the slope of the torque change; determining a magnitude of the change in torque; and determining, a type of the media, based on the magnitude of the change in torque.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Teoh Wei Lit
• Rezamda Felicia
• Goh Eugene
• Tan Li-Wen Benedict

Classifications

• B65H2515/32

  Torque e.g. braking torque · CPC title

• B65H2511/51

  Presence · CPC title

• B65H7/02

  by feelers or detectors · CPC title

• B41J13/0009 Primary

  control of the transport of the copy material · CPC title

• B65H3/0661

  for separating inclined-stacked articles with separator rollers above the stack · CPC title