APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF A DEVICE

• US 20080215286A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Simmons, Asher, Bledsoe, James D., MEALY, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for use in a device, such as a handheld printer or scanner, having functionality that requires information of its position relative to an origin and initial orientation. The module includes two sensors to generate movement data indicative of movement direction and orientation changes of the device. The location and orientation of the device relative to the origin and initial orientation is derived based on the movement data. A handheld printer or scanner implementing the device may thus be moved in different directions across a media to print or scan images, text, or other objects.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a module to generate movement data in response to movement of a handheld device, the movement data indicative of location changes and orientation changes of the handheld device; and

a first processor to receive the movement data and determine location and orientation data indicative of a position of the handheld device relative to a first location and a first orientation of the handheld device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second processor, wherein the first processor is adapted to communicate the location and orientation data to the second processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a print mechanism, wherein the second processor determines print data based on the location and orientation data, and communicates the print data to the print mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an imaging mechanism to generate image signals, wherein the second processor receives the image signals and generates image data based on the location and orientation data.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a wireless communication module in communication with the second processor, wherein the wireless communication module is adapted to receive image data from a host device and communicate the image data to the second processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the image data is a bitmap.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wireless communication module and the host device comprise a wireless local area network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the module comprises first and second motion sensors and communicates the movement data to the first processor in response to movement of the first and second motion sensors.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first motion sensor is selected from a group consisting of an optical motion sensor, a track-ball motion sensor, a laser motion sensor, and an inertial motion sensor.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating movement data in response to movement of a device, the movement data indicative of location changes and orientation changes of the device; and

means for receiving the movement data and determining location and orientation data indicative of a position of the device relative to a first location and a first orientation of the device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for generating print data based on the location and orientation data.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for generating digital image data based on the location and orientation data.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for sensing motion of the device.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for receiving image data from a host device; and

means for rendering an image on a print media based on the image data and the location and orientation data.

15. A method comprising:

generating movement data in response to movement of a handheld device, the movement data indicative of location changes and orientation changes of the handheld device; and

determining, based on the movement data, location and orientation data indicative of a position of the handheld device relative to a first location and a first orientation of the handheld device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining print data based on image data and the location and orientation data; and

communicating the print data to a print mechanism.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the image data from a host device.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving image signals from an imaging mechanism; and

generating image data based on the image signals and the location and orientation data.

19. A computer readable storage medium having processor executable instructions to receive movement data indicative of location changes and orientation changes of a handheld device, and determine location and orientation data indicative of a position of the handheld device relative to a first location and first orientation of the handheld device.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 having processor executable instructions to communicate the location and orientation data to a device processor.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 having processor executable instructions to determine print data based on image data and the location and orientation data, and communicate the print data to a print mechanism.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21 having processor executable instructions to receive the image data from a wireless communication module.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 having processor executable instructions to receive image signals from an imaging mechanism, and generate image data based on the image signals and the location and orientation data.

24. An apparatus for use with a device, comprising:

a first motion sensor to generate a first motion signal in response to movement of the device;

a second motion sensor to generate a second motion signal in response to movement of the device;

a module to generate movement data based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal; and

a processor to determine a location and an orientation of the device based on the movement data.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a movement module processor to determine the movement data.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor are comprised of respective light-emitting diode and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor pairs.

27. An apparatus for use with a device, comprising:

means for generating a first motion signal and a second motion signal in response to movement of the device;

means for generating movement data based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal; and

means for determining a location and an orientation of the device based on the movement data.

28. A method comprising:

generating a first motion signal in response to movement of a device;

generating a second motion signal in response to movement of the device; and

determining a location and an orientation of the device based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising generating movement data based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal.

30. A computer readable storage medium having processor executable instructions to:

generate a first motion signal in response to movement of a device,

generate a second motion signal in response to movement of the device, and

determine a location and an orientation of the device based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30 having processor executable instructions to generate movement data based on the first motion signal and the second motion signal.

32. An apparatus for use with a device, comprising:

a module to determine a first movement distance and a first movement direction for a first point on the device, and a second movement distance and a second movement direction for a second point on the device; and

a processor to determine a location and an orientation of the device based on the first movement distance and the first movement direction and the second movement distance and the second movement direction.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the module comprises a first motion sensor and a second motion sensor.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the module comprises a module processor to communicate the first movement distance, the first movement direction, the second movement distance, and the second movement direction to the processor.

35. An apparatus for use with a device, comprising:

means for determining a first movement distance and a first movement direction for a first point on the device, and a second movement distance and a second movement direction for a second point on the device; and

means for determining a location and an orientation of the device based on the first movement distance and the first movement direction and the second movement distance and the second movement direction.

36. A method comprising:

determining a first movement distance and a first movement direction for a first point on a device, and a second movement distance and a second movement direction for a second point on the device; and

determining a location and an orientation of the device based on the first movement distance and the first movement direction and the second movement distance and the second movement direction.

37. A computer readable storage medium having processor executable instructions to determine a location and an orientation of a device based on a first movement distance and a first movement direction of a first point on the device, and a second movement distance and a second movement direction of a second point on the device.