Method and device for preparing a printout of a position-coding pattern

• US 8,107,092 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Wiebe, Linus, Ericson, Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): LETT, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/630,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.2, 358/1.16, 358/3.11, 358/1.15, 358/1.11, 358/1.12
• US Class Current: 358/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for generating a printout of a section of a global position-coding pattern in a system comprising a computer unit and a printer unit connected to the computer unit. The method is characterized by the steps of generating in the computer unit boundary information that describes the boundaries of the section in the global position-coding pattern; transmitting the boundary information from the computer unit to the printer unit; generating graphical information in the printer unit by means of an algorithm that defines the global position-coding pattern and on the basis of the boundary information, which graphical information describes pattern symbols in the section; and printing out the graphical information on a base by the printer unit.

Claims

1. A computerized method of preparing a printout of graphical information defining pattern symbols of a position-coding pattern in a processor, the method comprising:

accounting, by the processor, for properties of a printer on which the graphical information is to be printed;

modifying, by the processor, the position-coding pattern based on the accounted for printer properties to thereby adjust the graphical information for printing on the printer; and

generating, by the processor, the graphical information defining the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern symbols are dots.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting the distances between the pattern symbols in the position-coding pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accounted-for printer properties include a smallest possible symbol displacement, and wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a displacement of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern such that the pattern symbols are displaced relative to each other by essentially whole multiples of the smallest possible symbol displacement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a scale of the position-coding pattern in relation to an ideal pattern.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting the scale of printable information that does not constitute a position-coding pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a size of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting an intensity of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern.

9. A computing device for preparing a printout of a position-coding pattern, the device comprising:

an algorithm module arranged to generate graphical information describing pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern, and adapt the position-coding pattern to suit properties of a printer unit, on which the graphical information is to be printed.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for performing a method of preparing a printout of graphical information defining pattern symbols of a position-coding pattern, the set of instructions when executed by a processor implement a method comprising:

accounting for properties of a printer on which the graphical information is to be printed;

modifying the position-coding pattern based on the accounted-for printer properties to thereby adjust the graphical information for printing on the printer; and

generating the graphical information defining the pattern symbols of the position coding pattern.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the pattern symbols are dots.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting the distances between the pattern symbols in the position-coding pattern.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the accounted-for printer properties include a smallest possible symbol displacement, and wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a displacement of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern such that the pattern symbols are displaced relative to each other by essentially whole multiples of the smallest possible symbol displacement.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a scale of the position-coding pattern in relation to an ideal pattern.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the scale of printable information that does not constitute a position-coding pattern.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting a size of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the modifying comprises adjusting an intensity of the pattern symbols of the position-coding pattern.