Width detecting media hanger

1. A printer comprising:

a processor;

a media hanger comprising a body for supporting loaded media and a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the body; and

a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively connected to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to:

emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger,

detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of a roll of media loaded on the media hanger,

transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the roll of media loaded on the media hanger based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.

2. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the emitter emits infra-red light, and the receiver detect infra-red light.

3. The printer of claim 1 , wherein each of the sensor pairs is spaced a known distance from adjacent sensor pairs.

4. The printer of claim 3 , wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.

5. The printer of claim 3 , wherein increasing a number of sensor pairs along the length of the media hanger correspondingly increases a measurement precision of the loaded media width.

6. The printer of claim 3 , wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.

7. The printer of claim 6 , wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.

8. The printer of claim 6 , wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.

9. The printer of claim 1 , comprising a transparent window covering the sensor array receiving space.

10. The printer of claim 9 , wherein the light from the emitter is emitted at a known frequency, and the window is a bandpass filter that blocks light having frequencies outside the known frequency while passing light having the known frequency.

11. A method comprising:

emitting light from an emitter in a direction outward from a media hanger towards a roll of media supported by the media hanger, the emitted light being generated by a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair comprising the emitter and a receiver;

detecting the emitted light with the receiver after the emitted light has been reflected off a surface of the loaded roll of media;

transmitting a signal intensity of the emitted light detected by the receiver in each of the sensor pairs to a processor, the receiver from each sensor pair detecting light emitted from the corresponding emitter in the sensor pair; and

processing the signal intensities detected by the receiver from each sensor pair to determine a width of the loaded roll of media.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.

16. A media hanger assembly comprising:

a processor;

a body for supporting loaded media, the body comprising:

a sensor array receiving space extending along a length of the body, and

a light passing window extending along the length of the body; and

a sensor array positioned in the sensor array receiving space and communicatively coupled to the processor, the sensory array comprising a plurality of sensor pairs, each sensor pair having an emitter and a receiver, the sensor array being configured to:

emit light from the emitter outward from the media hanger,

detect the emitted light after the emitted light is reflected off a surface of a roll of media loaded on the body,

transmit signal intensity of the reflected light detected by each of the sensor pairs to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a width of the roll of media loaded on the body based on the signal intensity detected by each of the sensor pairs.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein each of the sensor pairs are positioned an equidistance apart from the adjacent sensor pairs.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the sensor pairs located proximate to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a high signal intensity of reflected light and sensor pairs located distal to the surface of the loaded roll of media will have a low signal intensity of reflected light.

19. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the width of the roll of media is determined by summing a first total spacing length of sensor pairs having the high signal intensity.

20. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein a group of the sensor pairs located proximate to an edge of the loaded roll of media will have a signal intensity that transitions from the high signal intensity to the low signal intensity.