GB2490309A

GB2490309A - Portable printing device with optical sensor

Info

Publication number: GB2490309A
Application number: GB1106466.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacqueline Iris Stamp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-17
Filing date: 2011-04-17
Publication date: 2012-10-31
Also published as: GB201106466D0

Abstract

A portable printing device 702, which may be incorporated into a computer mouse, comprises an optical sensor 701 and printhead 706. The optical sensor and printhead are connected to a computer system 704. The computer system contains a memory 705 which stores the image 711 captured by the sensor. As the mouse containing the sensor is moved, a new image 712 is compared to the previous image, and the X and Y displacement of the portable device is calculated. The computer system synchronises 709 the pixels being printed from the calculation of the displacement and the stored bitmap 708 of the image to be printed 710, and commands the printhead to produce the relevant printout. The system may recognise previously-printed pixels and prevent over-printing of those pixels. The printer does not require any motors, guides, rollers or other components associated to traditional printers, and also allows the printing of images larger than the printhead.

Description

SPATIALLY COMPENSATED PRINTING DEVICE

Background

The present invention relates to the field of portable printing, particularly but not exclusively, to the use of small self-contained inkjet cartridge. In the age of the paper-less' office there still remains considerable reliance on producing hard copies for example legal statements, plans, lists and agendas. The miniaturisation of portable electronic systems has continued to deliver smaller PCs and smarter mobile devices.

Yet the problem remains to similarly miniaturise a suitable portable printing device.

As is commonly known, traditional desktop printers are large and not very portable.

Those printing devices that are promoted as portable, are generally smaller optimised versions of the larger machines. This lack of convenience is especially relevant for mobile users of netbooks and portable PCs. Should these users require a hard copy print, they must either carry a small printing device or typically wait until they are in an office environment.

In the field of portable marking, these devices offer single pass printing but the print area is limited to the physical height of the printhead employed. It is not possible to remain in register and produce multiple lines of print, which together create a single larger image.

Statement of invention

Specific implementations of the present invention aims to provide a highly portable printing device which does not require any motors, guides, rollers or other components associated to traditional printers.

In the best mode implementation, a small self-contained inkjet cartridge printing component is integrated into a PC mouse of standard size. The PC mouse performs as normal, providing the user interface to a PC.

When set to the mode of printing, the mouse is placed upon the substrate being printed and the manual action of wiping the mouse over the substrate will generate the hard copy. The action is similar to taking a "brass rubbing" where the mouse movement is synchronised to the data being printed.

Multiple passes of the same area would not result in the same pixels receiving additional ink.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mechanism to synchronise data being printed with random X-Y axis movement of the printing device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable printing device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mechanism to replace fixed encoders and deliver multi-pass printing with random X-Y axis movement of the printing device.

Further features of the invention are as recited in the claims herein. The scope of the invention is limited only by the scope of the claims herein.

Advantages The invention described herein offers a highly portable device for producing hard copies of stored information. The device can be integrated into existing peripherals e.g. a computer mouse and require no additional equipment to be transported.

The printer is not limited by print height or width so can print any size.

Print quality, ink density and resolution is consistent regardless of the print size.

The device requires no motors, rollers or fixed encoders and is solid state with no moving parts.

Introduction to drawings

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried out into effect, there will now be described by way of example only, specific embodiments, methods and processes according to the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings which: Figure 1 Illustrates schematically in perspective view the prior art process of producing a facsimile impression of raised characters or images often associated to the activity of taking brass-rubbings.

Figure 2 Illustrates schematically a computer, containing storage for a bitmapped image, and connected to a printhead comprising a plethora of printing elements. The substrate upon which the image is to be printed, is confined by an X and Y encoder which describe a virtual grid against which the stored image is printed.

Figure 3 Illustrates schematically a sequence of operation where a computer, containing a bitmap with a stored image, is connected to a printhead comprising a plethora of printing elements and printing is synchronised as it traverses along and down the substrate.

Figure 4 Illustrates schematically a computer system, containing a bitmap where captured images from a connected optical sensing device are stored.

Figure 5 Illustrates schematically a computer system which compares the current saved image with a previously saved image and calculates the two dimensional displacement from comparisons of consecutive images captured using an optical sensing device.

Figure 6 Illustrates schematically a computer mouse, which contains both an optical sensing device and a printhead comprising of a plethora of printing elements.

Figure 7 Illustrates schematically a single computer containing storage for a bitmapped image, connected to a printhead comprising a plethora of printing elements and storage for a bitmap captured image from a connected optical sensing device. The computer is connected to an image capture device and printhead, both mounted within the same portable device, and calculates the movement of the printing device then synchronises printing accordingly.

Figure 8 Illustrates schematically a sequence of operations where a handheld device containing a printhead and an optical sensor, is connected to a computer and randomly propelled around a substrate. Through the sequence, the computer calculates displacement of the handheld device using the optical sensor, and provides the printing control to generate a facsimile of the image stored within the computer.

Detailed description

There will now be described by way of example the best mode contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. In the following description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details including but not limited to, methods that apply material selection and fabrication techniques. In other instances, other well-known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

Specific implementations according to the present invention provide for a spatially compensated portable printing device: -in particular using optical feedback to control the printing of pixels stored as an image in a computer memory.

There will now be described in detail, a specific spatially compensated portable printing device and method of operation, according to a specific implementation of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1. herein, there is illustrated a prior art sequence for the generation of a facsimile image from raised characters 101 often associated to the process of taking a brass-rubbing'. It is appropriate to describe such an obvious process, as a similar process form the basis of operation described in the invention. Using a single pencil 103 and a substrate 102 is placed over the raised characters 104, the pencil is repeatedly scanned 105 across the full width and height of the brass-rubbing' being copied. In this manner, the small swathe or print height 106 produced by the pencil does not limit the size of facsimile image being copied 1 07.

Referring to Figure 2. herein, there is illustrated a prior art printing system. A computer system 201j is connected 203 to a printhead containing a plethora of printing nozzels 202. The computer system contains a memory 204 where a bitmap image is stored 205. A substrate which is to be printed upon 208, is positioned under the printhead. The printhead 202 is traversed back and forth across and down the length of the substrate. An X and Y encoder 206H2071 provides the computer with positional feedback detailing the location of the printhead. The computer synchronises data to be printed with the encoder positional feedback.

Referring to Figure 3. herein, there is illustrated the sequence of a prior art printing device. A computer system 301 connected by a flexible cable 303 to a printhead containing a plethora of printing nozzels 3021. The computer system contains a memory 3041 where a bitmap image is stored 3051. A substrate 3081 which is to be printed upon, is positioned under the printhead. The printhead 3021 is traversed across the substrate 3O9 and a swathe of print produced. An X and Y encoder 3O6l307 provides positional feedback to the computer 3011. Printing is synchronised 3101 by the computer. When the printhead has fully traversed across the substrate, it is indexed down the substrate 13111 and ready to print a new swathe. The printhead is then traversed in the opposite direction 3121 and the computer continues to synchronise printing 131 3 using the encoder feedback.

Referring to Figure 4. herein, there is illustrated a prior art image capture system. A computer system 4011 is connected 4031 to an optical sensor 4021. The computer system contains a memory 405 which stores the image 406 captured by the optical sensor 404L Referring to Figure 5. herein, there is illustrated a computer system that calculates the X and Y movement of an optical sensor. A computer system 15011 connected to an optical sensor 5021. The computer system contains a memory which stores the image 15051 captured by the optical sensor 15061. As the optical sensor is moved 5031 the new captured image is compared to the previous image 15051 and the X and Y displacement 15041 is calculated. From this calculation the movement of the optical sensor can be determined.

Referring to Figure 6. herein, there is illustrated a computer mouse with embedded optical sensing and printer. A computer mouse 1601 contains both an optical sensor 603 and a printhead containing a plethora of printing nozzels 6021. The computer mouse is moved under the control of a user 16041.

Referring to Figure 7. herein, there is illustrated the combination of an optical sensor 7011 and printhead 7061 integrated within a portable mouse 1702L The devices are connected l703l7O7 to the same computer system 17041. The computer system contains a memory l705 which stores the image 71 11 captured by the optical sensor 7011. As the computer mouse containing the optical sensor is moved a new captured image 7 12 is compared to the previous image 711 and the X and Y displacement of the portable mouse is calculated. The computer stores the image to be printed 71 Olin a separate bitmap 7081. The computer system 7041 synchronises 17091 the pixels being printed from the calculation of displacement 7117121 and the stored bitmap of the image to be printed l708L Referring to Figure 8. herein, there is illustrated the process of printing an image using a portable computer mouse l801, which provides optical positional feedback to synchronise the image being printed and a printhead to produce a printed image. An optical sensor and printhead located within a portable mouse is connected to a computer system l809L The computer system controls the pixels being printed from the calculation of displacement obtained from images captured by the optical sensor.

The computer has access to the bitmap being printed together with the bitmap containing the captured image and using an algorithm compares each to synchronise which pixels are printed.

The movement of the portable mouse is under the control of a user. The substrate to be printed upon is positioned under the portable mouse. As the user randomly sweeps across the substrate l802U803U801l the optical sensor captures images which are analysed by the computer to calculate the portable mouse displacement. The image to be printed is stored in the computer l809 bitmap and the computer synchronises printing of the appropriate pixels by the printhead l8OSL Because the print swathe or pixel height 8041 of the printhead is limited, if the image to be printed is larger, the user will traverse the portable mouse across the substrate 806 where further image detail will be printed 18071. The computer recognises where previous pixels have already been printed and does not repeat printing over these areas. This process of randomly traversing the portable mouse over the substrate is similar to the process of taking a brass-rubbing' and continues l808 until the complete image has been printed 18091.