Method of printing regions larger than the print swath using a handheld printer

1. A method of printing comprising the steps of:

(i) operatively positioning a swipe printer relative to a surface and swiping the printer across the surface;

(ii) printing, during said swipe, successive parts of a position-coding pattern as a trail onto said surface;

(iii) printing, during said swipe, successive parts of a graphic image onto the surface, said position-coding pattern and said graphic image being superimposed;

(iv) imaging, during said swipe and using a first image sensor, portions of said surface on which said printhead has printed said trail of the position-coding pattern;

(v) determining, during said swipe, absolute positions of the printhead using imaged parts of the position-coding pattern; and

(vi) using the absolute positions to control, during said swipe, printing of the position-coding pattern and the graphic image, wherein the first image sensor is positioned downstream of said printhead relative to a swipe direction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printhead prints the graphic image and the position-coding pattern substantially simultaneously onto said surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said surface is blank in step (i), and wherein an initial position of said swipe printer provides a reference point for said position-coding pattern.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said reference point is an origin.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said origin is based on an assumed initial swipe direction in step (i).

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said origin is a top-left corner of the position-coding pattern, and said initial swipe direction is a left-to-right swipe or a top-to-down swipe.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (i) further comprises the sub-steps of:

imaging part of a position-coding pattern printed during a previous swipe of the printer; and

determining an absolute position of the printhead, wherein said imaged part of the position-coding pattern is contained in an outer perimeter of the position-coding pattern printed during the previous swipe.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said swiping comprises swiping outwardly from said outer perimeter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said graphic image is printed with at least one first ink and said position-coding pattern is printed with a second ink.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said second ink is an infrared-absorbing ink.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printer is configured for unidirectional swiping.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said printer comprises a first image sensor for imaging said position-coding pattern, said first image sensor being positioned downstream of a printhead, wherein a swipe direction is defined as upstream.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

sensing relative motion of the printer during the swipe to generate relative motion data; and

using the sensed relative motion together with said absolute positions to control printing of the position-coding pattern and the graphic image.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

sensing an orientation of the printer relative to the position-coding pattern;

using the orientation together with said absolute positions to control printing of the position-coding pattern and the graphic image.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

accessing an impression identity for said graphic image;

associating said impression identity with said graphic image;

generating association data indicating an association between the impression identity, the absolute positions and the graphic image; and

communicating said association data to a computer system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the printed position-coding pattern further identifies said impression identity.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said interactive element is selected from the group comprising: a hyperlink, an input field and a button.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein said association data enables said computer system to associate one or more zones of the graphic image with a corresponding interactive element.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein said impression identity is accessed from any one of:

a memory in said printer, said memory storing a plurality of impression identities; and

a computer system communicating with said printer.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printer is contained in a mobile phone or personal digital assistant.