Methods, apparatuses, and systems for media calibration for printers

1. A method for determining a media type of a media associated with a printer, the method comprising:

scanning a media associated with the printer to generate at least two consecutive windows of a media;

determining a vertical length of a captured image based on a comparison of image characteristic values captured in the at least two consecutive windows;

determining a media characteristic associated with the media based at least on the captured image and the vertical length and one or more stored media profiles; and

calibrating the printer based on the media characteristic.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the media physically moves in a vertical direction during the scanning.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning is associated with a pre-determined window size defined by a horizontal width and a vertical length, wherein the media characteristic further includes a width, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs based on the captured image;

detecting one or more changes of image characteristic value on the one or more image characteristic value graphs;

for each image characteristic value graph:

determining a first point and a second point based one or more changes of image characteristic values;

determining a pulse width based on the distance between the first point and the second point; and

determining the width based on the one or more pulse widths associated with each of the image characteristic value graphs.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a line scanner sensor associated with a line scanner physically moves in a vertical direction during the scanning.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the captured image comprises one or more pre-defined vertical sample lines associated with a line scanner sensor associated with the line scanner.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising receiving one or more media profiles each associated with a media type, wherein the media characteristic includes a media type.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a gap media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the gap media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting one or more decreases of image characteristic values in the one or more image characteristic value graphs that exceeds a gap threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the gap media type.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a continuous media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the continuous media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting that one or more image characteristic values in the one or more image characteristic value graphs do not increase or decrease by more than a continuous threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the continuous media type.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a blackmark media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the blackmark media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting that at least one image characteristic value in the one or more image characteristic value graphs increase or decrease by more than a blackmark darkness threshold for more than a blackmark size threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the blackmark media type.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calibrating comprises adjusting a label stop position.

11. A printer comprising:

a line scanner configured to scan a media to generate at least two consecutive windows of a media; and

a device configured to:

determine a vertical length of a captured image based on a comparison of image characteristic values captured in the at least two consecutive windows;

determine a media characteristic associated with the media based at least on the captured image, the vertical length and the one or more media profiles; and

calibrate the printer based on the media characteristic.

12. The printer according to claim 11 , wherein the media physically moves in a vertical direction during the scanning.

13. The printer according to claim 11 , wherein the scanning is associated with a pre-determined window size defined by a horizontal width and a vertical length, wherein the media characteristic further includes a width, and wherein the device is further configured to:

generate one or more image characteristic value graphs based on the captured image;

detect one or more changes of image characteristic value on the one or more image characteristic value graphs;

for each image characteristic value graph:

determine a first point and a second point based one or more changes of image characteristic values;

determine a pulse width based on the distance between the first point and the second point; and

determine the width based on the one or more pulse widths associated with each of the image characteristic value graphs.

14. The printer according to claim 11 , wherein a line scanner sensor associated with the line scanner physically moves in a vertical direction during the scanning.

15. The printer according to claim 11 , wherein the device is further configured to receive one or more media profiles each associated with a media type, and wherein the media characteristic includes a media type.

16. The printer according to claim 15 , wherein the captured image comprises two overlapping windows each associated with the pre-determined window size, and wherein the captured image comprises one or more pre-defined vertical sample lines associated with the line scanner sensor.

17. The printer according to claim 16 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a gap media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the gap media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting one or more decreases of image characteristic values in the one or more image characteristic value graphs that exceeds a gap threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the gap media type.

18. The printer according to claim 16 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a continuous media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the continuous media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting that one or more image characteristic values in the one or more image characteristic value graphs do not increase or decrease by more than a continuous threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the continuous media type.

19. The printer according to claim 16 , wherein one media profile of the one or more media profiles is associated with a blackmark media type, and wherein determining that the media is associated with the blackmark media type comprises:

generating one or more image characteristic value graphs associated with each of the one or more sample lines;

detecting that at least one image characteristic value in the one or more image characteristic value graphs increase or decrease by more than a blackmark darkness threshold for more than a blackmark size threshold; and

determining that the media is associated with the blackmark media type.

20. The printer of claim 11 , wherein the calibrating comprises adjusting a label stop position.