Printer Image Scaling via Sensor-Detected Travel Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual scanning-type printers lack the ability to automatically adjust the size and position of printed images to ensure even printing across a central line, leading to potential under or over expansion of the image size during the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A printer with a printer head arranged in a line, a sensor to detect movement distance, and a processor that adjusts the image length to twice the reference travel distance, ensuring even printing by controlling the printer head to move in opposite directions based on detected distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the printer is moved manually without automatic adjustment, then the operation is simple and device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision of the printed image is poor due to under or over expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The processor performs preliminary action by calculating the reference travel distance before printing and pre-adjusting the image size based on this distance. The image is scaled to have a length two times the reference travel distance before the actual printing movement, ensuring precise dimensions are achieved through advance preparation rather than complex real-time control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service by utilizing the sensor to automatically detect the actual travel distance of the printer and using this detected information to adjust the image size automatically. The printer system serves itself by converting its own movement data into correction factors for image scaling, eliminating the need for external measurement devices or complex manual adjustment mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If the image size is adjusted based on detected travel distance, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the loss of time increases due to additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The reference travel distance is calculated and stored in advance before the actual printing operation. By performing this calculation beforehand and using it to pre-scale the image, the system minimizes real-time processing requirements during printing, thus reducing time loss while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides feedback on the actual travel distance, which the processor uses to automatically adjust the image size. This feedback mechanism creates a closed-loop system where the adjustment is automatic and based on actual measurements, eliminating manual measurement and calculation time while ensuring consistent precision across printing operations
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a printer head, a sensor, and a processor. The printer head includes printing components. The sensor acquires data with respect to a distance by which the printer is moved in one of moving directions. The processor (i) adjusts a length of an image of a print subject so that the image of the print subject has a length two times a reference travel distance that is based on a distance acquired by the sensor, the distance acquired by the sensor being a distance by which the printer is moved from a starting position in a first moving direction, and (ii) controls the printer head in such a manner that, when the printer is moved in a second moving direction that is opposite to the first moving direction, the printer is made to print the adjusted image at the adjusted position of the image.