US 11,727,234 B2
Performance of printing based on detected end portions of medium
Shinichiro Niiyama, Sapporo (JP)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/17,098.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-167521 (JP), filed on Sep. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0081734 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G06K 15/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); B41J 3/407 (2006.01); G06K 15/02 (2006.01); B41J 13/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01)
CPC G06K 15/4065 (2013.01) [B41J 2/2132 (2013.01); B41J 3/4078 (2013.01); B41J 13/0009 (2013.01); G06K 15/005 (2013.01); G06K 15/021 (2013.01); G06K 15/1805 (2013.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a printing section;
a transport belt that is configured to transport a print medium that is placed on a transport belt;
a controller and;
a camera that is configured to capture an image of an area that covers a whole width of the transport belt to thereby generate a captured image that includes imaging of both end portions of the print medium in an intersecting direction that intersects a transport direction of the print medium, the printing apparatus configured to provide the captured image to the controller;
the controller configured to detect a position of both end portions of the print medium by evaluating the captured image based on a color difference in the captured image between an image color of the transport belt and an image color of the print medium, the controller further configured to cause the printing section to execute printing based on print data while one end portion of the both end portions detected by the sensor is set as a print start position and a distance from one end portion to the other end portion is set as width of the print medium;
wherein, the detection of the position of both end portions of the print medium being performed by: determining a right end portion of the print medium as captured in the captured image is separated from the right end of the captured image by a first number of pixels to the left;
and determining a left end portion of the print medium as captured in the captured image is separated from the left end of the captured image by a second number of pixels to the right;
calculating a first distance in the intersecting direction from the right end portion of the print medium to a right side of the transport belt based on the first number of pixels;
and calculating a second distance in the intersecting direction from the left end portion of the print medium to a left side of the transport belt based on the second number of pixels.