Method and apparatus for detecting an absence of print media

摘要

A method and apparatus for detecting the absence of print media in an imaging device, such as a printer. The printer includes a print mechanism, a media tray for supplying sheets of print media to the printer, and a pick mechanism for moving the sheets of print media from the media tray to the print mechanism. The pick mechanism includes a pick roller, a pick motor that rotates the pick roller, and a controller in communication with the pick motor. Rotating the pick roller when there are no sheets of print media in the media tray causes the pick motor to stall. The controller produces a signal when the motor stalls indicating to the user that the printer is out of print media. A rotational position encoder coupled to the pick mechanism and in communication with the controller can be used to provide pick motor stall detection.