Radial printing system and methods

Abstract

Method and apparatus for receiving an image source representative of an image to be printed on an outer surface of a rotating media is described. The image source has a plurality of image points. A radial printing system is described that includes an imaging system configured to convert the plurality of image points into a polar-based representation of the image and a head assembly coupled to the imaging system for outputting the polar-based representation of the image onto the rotating media. The rotating media may represent a compact disk, wherein an inner surface of the compact disk is configured to store digital data

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A radial printing system for receiving an image source representative of an image to be printed on a rotating media, the image source having a plurality of image points expressed in Cartesian coordinates, the system comprising: 
 a computer imaging system configured to convert the plurality of image points expressed in Cartesian coordinates into a plurality of polar image points expressed in polar coordinates, wherein each polar point corresponds to a location on the media,    wherein the computer imaging system is further configured to determine a first ink dispensement time for a first radius and a selected angle of the media and to determine a second ink dispensement time for a second radius and the selected angle; and    a head assembly coupled to the computer imaging system for outputting a first ink object along the first radius of the rotating media and outputting a second ink object along the second radius, wherein the head assembly is further configured to output the first ink object along the first radius at the first ink dispensement time and to output the second ink object along the second radius at the second ink dispensement time,    wherein the first and second ink dispensement times are determined such that the first and second ink object output at the first and second ink dispensement times, respectively, hit the media at the selected angle on the media and wherein the first radius differs from the second radius and the first ink dispensement differs from the second ink dispensement time.    
     
     
         2 . The radial printing system of  1 , further comprising: 
 a rotation motor configured to rotate the media and to provide rotation position data that indicates a current rotation position of the rotation motor; and    a servo system configured to receive the rotation position data from the rotation motor and to control the rotation motor responsive to the rotation position data.    
     
     
         3 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , wherein the head assembly includes a print head that is angled to increase radial resolution.  
     
     
         4 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising a synchronization system coupled with the imaging system and the servo system, the synchronization system being configured to ensure that the head assembly prints at a specified position on the rotating media.  
     
     
         5 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the platter includes a holding device for affixing the media onto the platter during printing, wherein the holding device is further configured to attach a plurality of media at one time to the platter.  
     
     
         6 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 5   , wherein the imaging system is further configured to print the representation of the image onto each of the plurality of media.  
     
     
         7 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 6   , further comprising a media feeding device for handling a plurality of media.  
     
     
         8 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the head assembly implements a technology type from one of a group consisting of ink jet, laser, pen, dye-sublimation, thermal transfer, and electrostatic technologies.  
     
     
         9 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the head assembly is further configured to facilitate a chemical process wherein a first chemical is printed onto the media whereby the first chemical reacts with the media and forms a second chemical on the media.  
     
     
         10 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , wherein the servo system is further configured to provide a substantially constant linear velocity.  
     
     
         11 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the head assembly includes a curing bar for curing ink that is printed onto the rotating media.  
     
     
         12 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the head assembly includes a drying bar for drying ink that is printed onto the rotating media.  
     
     
         13 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the head assembly includes an optical reader for retrieving optical information from the media.  
     
     
         14 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the head assembly includes an optical reader for obtaining optical information from the platter.  
     
     
         15 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 14    wherein the obtained optical information includes a zero angle indicator for the platter, the zero angle indicator being output to the imaging system to determine an origin of the platter.  
     
     
         16 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 14   , wherein the obtained optical information represents a first printed image on the media that is output to the imaging system to be used to overlay a second printed image on the media.  
     
     
         17 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , wherein the servo system is further configured to provide a substantially constant angular velocity  
     
     
         18 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the platter is configured to provide platter position data that indicates a current platter position of the platter relative to the head assembly, the servo system also being configured to receive the platter position data from the platter and to control radial movement of the platter relative to the media in response to the platter position data.  
     
     
         19 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the head assembly is further configured to move vertically relative to the platter and to provide vertical position data that indicates a current vertical position of the head assembly, the servo system also being configured to receive the vertical position data from the head assembly and to control vertical movement of the head assembly in response to the vertical position data.  
     
     
         20 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the platter is configured such that the rotating media may be in the form of one from the group consisting of a compact disk label and a compact disk.  
     
     
         21 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , further comprising a platter for supporting the rotating media, wherein the platter is configured such that the rotating media may be formed from a relatively inflexible material.  
     
     
         22 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 1   , wherein the imaging system is configured to reduce printing distortion of one from a group consisting of large swath, mismatch, twisting, and dual conversion distortion.  
     
     
         23 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 22   , wherein the imaging system is configured to fills in gaps caused by printing distortion.  
     
     
         24 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 23   , wherein the imaging system fills in gaps caused by printing distortion by printing extra dots that are not associated with the image source.  
     
     
         25 . The radial printing system recited in    claim 23   , wherein the imaging system fill in gaps caused by printing distortion by printing the image source onto overlapping ink dispensement areas.  
     
     
         26 . A method for reproducing an image on a rotating media, comprising: 
 determining a first ink dispensement time for a first radius and a selected angle of the media;    determining a second ink dispensement time for a second radius and the selected angle;    printing a first ink object along the first radius; and    printing a second ink object along the second radius,    wherein the first ink object is printed along the first radius at the first ink dispensement time and the second ink object is printed along the second radius at the second ink dispensement time and wherein the first and second ink dispensement times are determined such that the first and second ink object printed at the first and second ink dispensement times, respectively, hit the media at the selected angle on the media and wherein the first radius differs from the second radius and the first ink dispensement differs from the second ink dispensement time.