Abstract: A printhead provides selective heating to a supply of molten ink within an ink flow channel. The printhead is adapted to be in electrical communication with a controller and programmed to determine ink required by a print job. Based on the determined ink required by the print job, the controller accordingly provides selective heating to the printhead. The printhead includes an ink inlet, a nozzle in fluid communication with the ink inlet, and an ink flow channel having a length and extending between the ink inlet and the nozzle. A molten ink supply from a solid ink supply retaining device is received by the ink inlet and ejected from the nozzle on a print medium. A plurality of heating zones is also disposed along the length and adjacent to the ink flow channel to provide heating to the molten ink supply adjacent to each of the plurality of heating zones.

Abstract: A method for use in guiding a hand-operated printer positioned over a print medium includes determining a position of the hand-operated printer relative to the print medium; and generating on a display screen a virtual image of at least a portion of an area under the hand-operated printer, corresponding to the position of the hand-operated printer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. An inkjet printhead and two position sensors front one another in a triangular configuration thereby providing a large printable area compared to the prior art. A frame commonly mounts the printhead and sensors and is biased to keep an acceptable paper to printer gap during use. A forward opening door accepts the printhead before printing.

Abstract: A printhead provides selective heating to a supply of molten ink within an ink flow channel. The printhead is adapted to be in electrical communication with a controller and programmed to determine ink required by a print job. Based on the determined ink required by the print job, the controller accordingly provides selective heating to the printhead. The printhead includes an ink inlet, a nozzle in fluid communication with the ink inlet, and an ink flow channel having a length and extending between the ink inlet and the nozzle. A molten ink supply from a solid ink supply retaining device is received by the ink inlet and ejected from the nozzle on a print medium. A plurality of heating zones is also disposed along the length and adjacent to the ink flow channel to provide heating to the molten ink supply adjacent to each of the plurality of heating zones.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not. A position sensor provides input to the controller. Its signal typifies pixels in a matrix frame indicating a current position frame and, over time, a previous position frame. The controller compares the two frames to find a presence of the previous in the current. To improve computational efficiency, the controller reduces a relative size of both frames before comparing. Specific reduction techniques contemplate converting a matrix frame of pixels indicative of previous and current locations into smaller matrices, including one-dimensional forms. Possible search areas within the current frame to look for the previous frame utilize knowledge about the movement history of the printer. Position sensor signal validity and controller architectures are other noteworthy features.

Abstract: An improved handheld printer includes projectors to project images of the various page content that remains to be printed on the page. By providing this visual indication of locations of the page that remain to be printed, the projectors assist the user in achieving full coverage of the page when moving the handheld printer across the page. The projectors emit a narrow beam of light that can be rapidly scanned, with the assistance of micromirror-based optics, over points composing an area on the page to create a visual image to guide the user along the page. The projectors can be used to project an actual image of the page content to be printed. Alternatively, the projectors can project signals or other meaningful information onto the page that provide instructions to the user or point the user towards void areas that have been missed.

Abstract: A device for projection of an operations panel includes a printer portion, a media feedpath extending through the printer portion having a media input and a media output, an image projector forming an image on one of the media input or an image receiving surface, the image projector defining an operations panel for making operation selections.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not. A position sensor provides input to the controller. Its signal typifies pixels in a matrix frame indicating a current position frame and, over time, a previous position frame. The controller compares the two frames to find a presence of the previous in the current. To improve computational efficiency, the controller reduces a relative size of both frames before comparing. Specific reduction techniques contemplate converting a matrix frame of pixels indicative of previous and current locations into smaller matrices, including one-dimensional forms. Possible search areas within the current frame to look for the previous frame utilize knowledge about the movement history of the printer. Position sensor signal validity and controller architectures are other noteworthy features.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated back and forth by an operator during use to print an image on a media. The media includes reference indicia upon which users maneuver the printer whenever a location of the printer is unknown or needs updating or validating. A controller of the printer correlates the location of a printhead to the image and when lost communicates to a direction indicator to provide user notification of where to move the housing to reacquire the location. Embodiments of the reference indicia include guide and location patterns, with the guide pattern pointing to the location pattern. Other indicia include related tick marks of substantially equal size and shape with substantially equal spacing there between. Supply items for applying on the media include a substrate with reference indicia thereon that matches stored reference indicia in the printer.

Abstract: Hand-held printers are disclosed that include a housing, a printhead, a controller and at least one position sensor to capture location data as the printer is manually moved across the media. In the described embodiments, the controller uses location data received from the one or more sensors to discern the printer location and reference indicia are used to direct a user to move the printer in a given direction.

Abstract: A stand-alone printing apparatus for transferring one or more digital photographs captured by a digital device to a printable medium. The printing apparatus includes an input member for receiving digital photographs from a source and image processing for generating an image corresponding to each of the digital photographs. The photoprinter apparatus includes dynamically definable image processing software and an integrated user interface with template and settings storage capabilities.

Abstract: Hand-held printing device and systems adapted to receive radio signal information indicative of a position. Hand-held printing device having at least one antenna and a controller adapted to calculate the relative position of the hand-held printing device by comparing received radio signals on the antennae. Methods for using the same.

Abstract: A hand-held micro-fluid ejection device for ejecting a fluid onto a substrate surface in a plurality of physical orientations between the ejection device and a substrate surface, and methods for controlling the geometric accuracy of printing using a hand-held printing apparatus. Various spatial and dynamic orientations of the ejection device are measured, such as rotation angle, yaw angle, and velocity and acceleration vectors. Threshold limits are established for the orientations and printing is disabled if the measured values exceed the threshold limits.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a multi-format memory card drive having a multi-format memory card slot configured to receive any of a plurality of memory cards having a corresponding plurality of memory card formats. At least one of the plurality of memory cards has a memory card format that is different from another memory card format of the plurality of memory card formats. A bezel is configured for installation over the multi-format memory card slot. The bezel is configured to select a subset of the plurality of memory card formats that can be received by the multi-format memory card slot of the multi-format memory card drive.

Abstract: A method for refilling a printing cartridge includes installing a printing cartridge in a cartridge refill system; establishing communication with a memory device associated with the printing cartridge to read cartridge data stored in the memory device; determining aspects of refilling of the printing cartridge based on at least a portion of the cartridge data; and refilling the printing cartridge based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: A device for projection of an operations panel comprises a printer portion, a media feedpath extending through the printer portion having a media input and a media output, an image projector forming an image on one of the media input or an image receiving surface, the image projector defining an operations panel for making operation selections.

Abstract: A system and method for performing host-assisted web page printing from a mobile device is disclosed. A direct communication link is established with the mobile device and one or more files associated with a web page are received from the mobile device. The one or more files associated with the web page are transferred to a host and processed by a print application program running on the host to generate print data corresponding to the one or more files. The print data is processed through a printer driver and printed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. An inkjet printhead and two position sensors front one another in a triangular configuration thereby providing a large printable area compared to the prior art. A frame commonly mounts the printhead and sensors and is biased to keep an acceptable paper to printer gap during use. A forward opening door accepts the printhead before printing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not. A position sensor provides input to the controller. Its signal typifies pixels in a matrix frame indicating a current position frame and, over time, a previous position frame. The controller compares the two frames to find a presence of the previous in the current. To improve computational efficiency, the controller reduces a relative size of both frames before comparing. Specific reduction techniques contemplate converting a matrix frame of pixels indicative of previous and current locations into smaller matrices, including one-dimensional forms. Possible search areas within the current frame to look for the previous frame utilize knowledge about the movement history of the printer. Position sensor signal validity and controller architectures are other noteworthy features.

Abstract: A method for performing host-assisted document printing from a mobile device in an imaging system having a printer communicatively coupled to a host includes establishing a direct communication link from the mobile device to the printer; transferring a native document file from the mobile device to the printer; sending the native document file from the printer to the host; processing the native document file by a print application program running on the host to generate print data corresponding to the native document file; processing the print data through a printer driver associated with the printer; and printing the print data at the printer.