Image input/output apparatus

Claim 2

In a hand operated image output device which can be manually moved across a recording surface in order to transfer image data to said surface in a plurality of sequential image lines, a method of transferring said image data to said recording surface, said method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the number of lines which form said image data and storing the value of said number in a line counter; (b) manually moving said image output device across said recording surface; (c) generating a plurality of control pulses in accordance with the movement of said image output device; (d) providing a reference clock signal and counting the number of clock pulses occurring between successive said control pulses; (e) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined maximum value and repeating step (d) while said number of clock pulses is greater than said predetermined maximum value; (f) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined minimum value and repeating at least one of steps (a)-(e) while said number of clock pulses is less than said predetermined minimum value; (g) printing an image line of data on said recording surface; (h) decreasing the value stored in said line counter; and (i) repeating steps (b)-(h) until the value stored in said line counter is zero.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating a relative speed of said output device across said surface according to results of the comparison steps.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said step of indicating the relative speed includes the step of illuminating a plurality of LEDs dependent on the speed of said output device.

Claim 5

A hand operated printing device which can be manually moved across a recording surface, said device comprising: handle means for grasping by a user to move said device across said recording surface; memory means coupled to said handle means for storing image data to be printed on said recording surface; a print head for printing an image onto said recording surface; distance measuring means for measuring increments of distance as said device is moved across said recording surface and producing a distance signal for each of said increments; clock pulse generating means for generating clock pulses; counting means for counting said clock pulses between the intervals of said distance signals generated by said distance measuring means to determine the speed of the device; comparing means coupled to said counting means for comparing the number of clock pulses counted by said counting means with predetermined data to determine if the speed of the device is inside or outside of a predetermined range; control means coupled to said memory means, said print head and said comparing means, for supplying the image data to said print head only when the speed of the device is inside of the predetermined range; and speed indicating means coupled to said comparing means for indicating whether the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed inside or outside of the predetermined range.

Claim 6

A hand operated printing device which can be manually moved across a recording surface, said device comprising: handle means for grasping by a user to move said device across said recording surface; memory means coupled to said handle means for storing image data to be printed on said recording surface; a print head for printing an image onto said recording surface; distance measuring means for measuring increments of distance as said device is moved across said recording surface and producing a distance signal for each of said increments; clock pulse generating means for generating clock pulses; counting means for counting said clock pulses between the intervals of said distance signals generated by said distance measuring means to determine the speed of the device; comparing means coupled to said counting means for comparing the number of clock pulses counted by said counting means with predetermined data to determine if the speed of the device is inside or outside of a predetermined range; control means coupled to said memory means, said print head and said comparing means, for supplying the image data to said print head only when the speed of the device is inside of the predetermined range; and speed indicating means coupled to said comparing means for indicating whether the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed inside or outside of the predetermined range.

Claim 7

A hand operated printing device according to claim 4 wherein said speed indicating means includes: first indicating means for indicating with first colored light when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed within the predetermined range; and second indicating means for indicating with second colored light when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed outside of the predetermined range.

Claim 8

A hand operated printing device according to claim 4, wherein said speed indicating means includes: first indicating means for indicating with first colored light when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed within the predetermined range; second indicating means for indicating with second colored light when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed above the predetermined range; and third indicating means for indicating with third colored light when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed below the predetermined range.

Claim 9

A hand operated printing device which can be manually moved across a recording surface, said device comprising: handle means for grasping by a user to move said device across said recording surface; memory means coupled to said handle means for storing image data to be printed on said recording surface; a print head for printing an image onto said recording surface; distance measuring means for measuring increments of distance as said device is moved across said recording surface and producing a distance signal for each of said increments; clock pulse generating means for generating clock pulses; counting means for counting said clock pulses between the intervals of said distance signals generated by said distance measuring means to determine the speed of the device; comparing means coupled to said counting means for comparing the number of clock pulses counted by said counting means with predetermined data to determine if the speed of the device is within a predetermined range; control means coupled to said memory means, said print head and said comparing means, for supplying the image data to said print head only when the speed of the device is within the predetermined range; a display coupled to said comparing means for displaying the state of said device when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed within the predetermined range; and means for stopping the displaying by said display when there is no image data left in said memory means.

Claim 10

A hand operated printing device which can be manually moved across a recording surface, said device comprising: handle means for grasping by a user to move said device across said recording surface; memory means coupled to said handle means for storing image data to be printed on said recording surface; a print head for printing an image onto said recording surface; distance measuring means for measuring increments of distance as said device is moved across said recording surface and producing a distance signal for each of said increments; clock pulse generating means for generating clock pulses; counting means for counting said clock pulses between the intervals of said distance signals generated by said distance measuring means to determine the speed of the device; comparing means coupled to said counting means for comparing the number of clock pulses counted by said counting means with predetermined data to determine if the speed of the device is within a predetermined range; control means coupled to said memory means, said print head and said comparing means, for supplying the image data to said print head only when the speed of the device is within the predetermined range; a display coupled to said comparing means for displaying the state of said device when the device is being moved across said recording surface at a speed within the predetermined range; and means for stopping the displaying by said display when there is no image data left in said memory means.

Claim 11

In a hand operated image output device which can be manually moved across a recording surface in order to transfer image data to said surface in a plurality of sequential image lines, a method of transferring said image data to said recording surface, said method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the number of lines which form said image data and storing the value of said number in a line counter; (b) manually moving said image output device across said recording surface; (c) generating a plurality of control pulses in accordance with the movement of said image output device; (d) providing a reference clock signal and counting the number of clock pulses occurring between successive said control pulses; (e) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined maximum value and repeating step (d) while said number of clock pulses is greater than said predetermined maximum value; (f) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined minimum value, indicating a relative speed of said output device across said surface according to the comparison result and repeating at least one of steps (a)-(e) while said number of clock pulses is less than said predetermined minimum value; (g) printing an image line of data on said recording surface; (h) decreasing the value stored in said line counter; and (i) repeating steps (b)-(h) until the value stored in said line counter is zero.

Claim 12

In a hand operated image output device which can be manually moved across a recording surface in order to transfer image data to said surface in a plurality of sequential image lines, a method of transferring said image data to said recording surface, said method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the number of lines which form said image data and storing the value of said number in a line counter; (b) manually moving said image output device across said recording surface; (c) generating a plurality of control pulses in accordance with the movement of said image output device; (d) providing a reference clock signal and counting the number of clock pulses occurring between successive said control pulses; (e) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined maximum value and repeating step (d) while said number of clock pulses is greater than said predetermined maximum value; (f) comparing said number of clock pulses with a predetermined minimum value, indicating a relative speed of said output device across said surface according to the comparison result and repeating at least one of steps (a)-(e) while said number of clock pulses is less than said predetermined minimum value; (g) printing an image line of data on said recording surface; (h) decreasing the value stored in said line counter; and (i) repeating steps (b)-(h) until the value stored in said line counter is zero.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8 wherein said step of indicating the relative speed includes the step of illuminating a plurality of LEDs dependent on the speed of said output device.