Printer with motion detection

A mobile printer for printing an image in a printing field of a target object, the image being represented by bits of data, comprising:

• a housing movable relative to the target object sequentially over portions of the printing field;
• a printing member supported by the housing for printing in the printing field, the printing member having a maximum print area for a predetermined position of the housing relative to the target object substantially less than the entire area of the image to be printed;
• an orientation selector for selecting one of a plurality of orientations in which the image is to be printed;
• a position detector for detecting the position of the housing relative to the target object;
• a memory containing the bits of data representing the image;
• and
• a printing member driver connected to receive information from the position detector, connected to control the printing member and connected to retrieve the bits of data from the memory, the printer member driver selectively activating the printing member to sequentially print portions of the image corresponding to the detected relative position of the housing as the housing is moved relative to the target object over the printing field, in response to the retrieved bits of data and in response to the selected one of the orientations, and wherein the printing field includes a plurality of field portions and each portion of the image is formed from a single printline, each printline being printed in a respective one of the field portions, in response to the detected position of the housing further including a printline based scaling factor generator for determining a printline based scaling factor, wherein the printing member driver selects a number of times each of the image portion is repeated for successive field portions in response to the printline based scaling factor.

A mobile printer for printing an image on a desired printing field of a target object, the printing field having a first end and a second end, comprising:

• a first position being selected such that a printing member is aligned to the first end of the printing field when the housing is in the first position;
• a housing carrying the printing member, the housing being movable relative to the target object to move the printing member sequentially over portions of the printing field;
• a position detector operative to detect the position of the housing relative to a selected first position of the housing, the first position being selected such that the printing member is aligned to the first end of the printing field when the housing is in the first position and to determine an overall length of the printing field by comparing the selected position to a second position of the housing where the printing member is aligned to the second end of the printing field;
• a memory containing data representative of the image;
• a printing member supported by the housing for printing successive portions of the image position, said printing member having a maximum print area substantially less than the entire area of the image to be printed;
• a printing member controller connected to retrieve the data from the memory and operative to determine which portion of the image to print in the printing field portion corresponding to the detected position of said housing based on the determined overall length of the printing field;
• and
• a printing member driver operative to activate the printing member in response to the portion of the image determined by the printing member controller.

A method of printing an image on a target object using a printer having a movable housing supporting a printing member, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a scaling factor N;
• positioning the housing to place the printing member in a first printing position;
• moving the housing to move the printing member from the first printing position to a plurality of successive printing positions;
• detecting the location of each successive one of the plurality of successive printing positions relative to the first printing position;
• determining what portion of the image is to be printed at the first printing location and each of the detected locations based on the scaling factor and the detected location;
• and
• activating the printing member in response to the determined portion of the image to be printed on the target object at the first printing location and each of the detected locations so as to successively print all portions of the image on the target object.

A method of printing an image in a printing field having a plurality of field portions on a target object using a printer having a movable housing supporting a printing member with a maximum printing area for a predetermined position of the housing relative to the target object substantially equal to the area of one of the field portions, the printing field having a predetermined width, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the housing relative to the printing field to place the printing member in a first printing position;
• measuring the length of the printing field by moving the housing over the printing field such that the printing member traverses a distance substantially equal to the length of the printing field and detecting the distance traversed by the printing member;
• moving the housing relative to the printing field to move the printing member from the first printing position to a plurality of successive printing positions;
• detecting the location of each successive one of the printing positions relative to the first printing position;
• determining for each detected location a field portion of the printing field with which the printhead is aligned and a portion of the image corresponding to the determined field portion;
• and
• activating the printing member to selectively print in successive ones of the field portions the corresponding portion of the image in response to the detected location and the measured width of the printing field.