MOBILE PRINTING SYSTEM

• US 20100231633A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/16
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/09 indicating that several of an entity are present
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/413 of image
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/512 Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/40 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1241 register marks
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/14 by photoelectric feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host

Abstract

A mobile printing system includes a print medium having coded tags printed in IR-absorbing ink over a first face, each coded tag encoding data indicative of a location of that coded tag on the first face, an identifier of the print medium and a unique digital signature associated with the identifier. A mobile device for printing on the print medium includes a sensor for capturing an image of the coded tags when the print medium is positioned in a media feed path; a processor for decoding the sensed coded tag; verifying the digital signature; authorizing use of the print medium if the digital signature is verified; and determining the position of the print medium in the media feed path using the determined location of the sensed coded tag. The mobile device has a printer for printing information in registration with the sensed coded tag.

Claims

1. A mobile printing system comprising:

(A) a print medium configured to be printed on by a mobile device in a print direction, the print medium comprising a substrate defining first and second opposite faces, the first face having coded tags printed over the first face, each coded tag encoding data indicative of a location of that coded tag on the first face, an identifier of the print medium and a unique digital signature associated with the identifier; and

(B) a mobile device comprising;

(i) a first sensor for capturing a first image of at least one of the coded tags when the print medium is positioned within a media feed path of the mobile device;

(ii) a processor configured for;

decoding the data encoded by said at least one sensed coded tag, thereby to determine the location of the sensed coded tag, the identifier and the digital signature;

verifying the digital signature;

authorizing use of the print medium if the digital signature is verified; and

determining the position of the print medium in the media feed path using the determined location of the sensed coded tag; and

(iii) a printer for printing information in registration with said sensed coded tag.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a second sensor for capturing a second image of at least one of the coded tags.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured for:

decoding the data encoded by the coded tag sensed by the second sensor, thereby to determine the location of the coded tag sensed by the second sensor and

determining a position of the print medium based on the location determined from the coded tag sensed by the second sensor.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for determining movement of the print medium relative to first sensor, based on the coded tags sensed by the first sensor.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein determining the movement includes capturing a plurality of images of the coded tags as the print medium moves past the first sensor, and determining the movement based on the plurality of images.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein determining the movement includes the steps of:

using the processor to decode the data encoded by the coded tags captured in at least one of the plurality of captured images;

determining a position of the print medium relative to the first sensor at the time each of the images was captured; and

determining the movement of the print medium based on the positions determined over time.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein determining the movement includes the step of performing pattern recognition to determine movement of the print medium relative to at least one absolute position of the print medium.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for:

determining, from a known physical orientation of the print medium and the first image, a first relative rotation of the sensed coded tags with respect to the print medium.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the mobile device further includes a transmitter for transmitting the first relative rotation to a remote computer system.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the relative rotation via a mobile telecommunications network.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for:

using sensed coded data tags to generate a clock signal; and

using the clock signal to synchronize the printing onto the print medium.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.