Systems and methods for printing using a position-coding pattern

• US 7,859,712 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Thierry L
• Application Number:
  US12/178,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358 111- 118, 358/1.5
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 : Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 : First party call control architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 : Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 : Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 : Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/187 : Continuous sectional layer

Abstract

An apparatus for printing graphical information on a surface. The apparatus comprises: a printhead for printing the graphical information; an image sensor for recording an image of the surface, wherein the recorded image contains a position-coding pattern that identifies an absolute position on the surface; and a processor for converting the recorded image into a recorded absolute position. The printhead prints the graphical information onto the surface based on a comparison of the recorded absolute position and the graphical information to be printed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for printing graphical information on a surface, the graphical information having a predetermined positional relationship with the surface, the apparatus comprising:

a chassis;

a printhead movable relative to the chassis for printing the graphical information on the surface;

movement mechanism for moving the printhead relative to the chassis;

an image sensor for recording an image of the surface, wherein the surface contains a position-coding pattern that identifies absolute positions on the surface; and

a processor for determining from the image an absolute position and orientation of the chassis relative to the surface, and for controlling the printhead and movement mechanism to print the graphical information onto the surface according to the predetermined positional relationship.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical information includes images and/or text.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical information is a photo.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein position-coding pattern is contained in an image field of the surface, said image field being configured for receiving the printed graphical information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, which is configured to print a portion of the image field underlying the chassis, and print additional portions of the image field when the chassis is moved across the image field.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, which is configured to prompt a user to move the apparatus to cover unprinted portions of the image field.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the additional portions of the graphical information are recorded as pending output for the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pending output is printed when the apparatus is contacted with an unprinted portion the image field.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing the graphical information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to transform coordinates of positions in the graphical information to a coordinate system of the position-coding pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine its time-varying absolute position using the recorded image containing the position-coding pattern.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion sensor for detecting movement of the apparatus, wherein printing is terminated upon detection of movement.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said position-coding pattern comprises a plurality of tags, each tag identifying the absolute position of the tag on the surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each tag further identifies an identity of a substrate defining the surface.

15. A system for printing graphical information, the apparatus comprising:

a surface for receiving printed graphical information, said surface having a position-coding pattern that identifies a plurality of absolute positions on the surface; and

a printing device comprising;

a chassis;

a printhead movable relative to the chassis for printing the graphical information on the surface;

movement mechanism for moving the printhead relative to the chassis;

an image sensor for recording an image of the surface; and

a processor for determining from the image an absolute position and orientation of the chassis relative to the surface, and for controlling the printhead and movement mechanism to print the graphical information onto the surface according to a predetermined positional relationship.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the surface has an image field for receiving the printed graphical information, said image field containing the position-coding pattern.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the printing device is configured to print a portion of the image field underlying the chassis, and print additional portions of the image field when the chassis is moved across the image field.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the printing device further comprises a motion sensor for detecting movement of the device, wherein printing is terminated upon detection of movement.