Automatic width detection

1. A method, comprising:

producing light, by a set of light emitting diode (LEDs) of a sensor-LED array, wherein the sensor-LED array comprises a set of optical sensors and the corresponding set of LEDs positioned within a printing apparatus, wherein the light produced is directed to cover a maximum width of a printing media;

detecting the light, by the set of optical sensors of the sensor-LED array, and producing analog signals that have a magnitude proportional to an amount of detected light at respective optical sensors; and

receiving and processing, by a signal receiving assembly, the analog signals from the optical sensors to determine a width of the media based on the magnitude of the analog signals.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting light further comprises detecting reflected light from the printing media.

3. A method for detecting printing media width, comprising:

analyzing sensor data for a plurality of optical sensors in an array of sensor-LED pairs, wherein the sensor data corresponds to a plurality of values corresponding to different regions;

determining a first sensor value that corresponds to first region that comprises printing media, and a second sensor value that corresponds to a second region that does not comprise printing media, and a third sensor value that corresponds to a third region that is a transition region that comprises a first subregion of no printing media, and a second subregion of printing media, wherein the first sensor value is higher than the second sensor value; and

calculating the printing media width based on the first, second and third sensor values.

4. A method for detecting printing media width according to claim 3 , comprising:

analyzing analog-to-digital converter (ADC) sensor data;

determining, from the analyzed ADC sensor data, a first ADC value for a rising edge transition point, indicating a transition from a first section with no printing media to a second section with printing media;

determining, from the analyzed ADC sensor data, a second ADC value for a falling edge transition point, indicating a transition from the second section with printing media to a third section with no printing media; and

calculating, based on the transition point of rising edge and the transition point falling edge, the printing media width.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

determining the first ADC value and the second ADC value at least in part by a first sensor and a second sensor respectively; and

determining the first and second ADC values at least in part by sensors surrounding the first and second sensors.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining a rising edge position and a falling edge position based on the first ADC value and the second ADC value.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the width of the media is calculated using the determined positions of the rising edge and the falling edge.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein determining positions of the rising edge transition point and the falling edge transition point using ADC values of the surrounding sensors, the positions correspond to a transition from the first section with no media to the second section with media to the third section with no media, respectively.

9. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising calculating a threshold middle ADC value based on the first sensor value and the second sensor value.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising calculating a difference between the threshold middle ADC value and the first ADC value.

11. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising calculating a difference between the first sensor value and the second sensor value.

12. The method according to claim 3 , wherein calculating the printing media width is based on a linear ratio.

13. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:

determining the printing media width in a spine align bias printer; or

determining the printing media width in a center align bias printer.

14. A method for detecting a printing region, comprising:

producing light, by a light emitting diode in a first assembly, wherein the light is directed toward a path of a printing ribbon;

producing a first analog signal, by a first sensor of a second assembly in response to receiving the light produced by the light emitting diode, wherein the second assembly is disposed at a predetermined distance away from the first assembly and facing the printing ribbon and the first assembly,

producing a second analog signal, by a second sensor proximal to the light emitting diode in the first assembly, in response to receiving the light produced by the light emitting diode; and

receiving and processing, by an analog signal receiving assembly, a combined analog signal from the first sensor and the second sensor to determine a width of the printing ribbon.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein:

the combined analog signal is high when light produces by the light emitting diode is not blocked by the printing ribbon; and

the combined analog signal is low when the light produced by the light emitting diode is blocked by the printing ribbon.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a high value and low value of the combined analog signal is used to detect the width of the printing ribbon.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a threshold middle value of the combined analog is calculated to detect the width of media/ribbon.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a difference of a high value and low value of the combined analog signal is calculated to detect the width of the printing ribbon.

19. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising converting the combined analog signal received from the analog signal receiving assembly into a digital value.