Position detection apparatus, droplet discharging apparatus, method for detecting position, and medium

Abstract

A position detection apparatus configured to detect a position on a movement surface of a mounted object having the position detection apparatus mounted thereon, includes a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement on the movement surface; a posture detector configured to detect at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; and a position calculator configured to calculate the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A position detection apparatus configured to detect a position on a movement surface of a mounted object having the position detection apparatus mounted thereon, the position detection apparatus comprising:
 a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 a posture detector configured to detect at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 a position calculator connected to the moved amount detector and the posture detector, and configured to calculate the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and 
 a timing indicator configured to indicate timing to the moved amount detector and the posture detector, 
 wherein the timing indicator indicates the timing to detect the posture to the posture detector at the same timing as timing at which the moved amount detector detects the amount of movement. 
 
     
     
       2. A position detection apparatus configured to detect a position on a movement surface of a mounted object having the position detection apparatus mounted thereon, the position detection apparatus comprising:
 a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 a posture detector configured to detect at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 a position calculator connected to the moved amount detector and the posture detector, and configured to calculate the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and 
 a floating amount calculator configured to calculate an amount of floating of the mounted object over the movement surface, based on the posture of the mounted object detected by the posture detector, 
 wherein the position calculator corrects the amount of movement detected by the moved amount detector depending on the amount of floating calculated by the floating amount calculator. 
 
     
     
       3. A droplet discharging apparatus comprising:
 a position detection apparatus configured to detect a position on a movement surface of a mounted object having the position detection apparatus mounted thereon, the position detection apparatus comprising:
 a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 a posture detector configured to detect, from an angular velocity caused by the movement of the mounted object, at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; and 
 a position calculator connected to the moved amount detector and the posture detector, and configured to calculate the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and 
 
 a droplet discharger connected to the position detection apparatus and configured to discharge a liquid droplet for forming an image at the position depending on the position of the mounted object. 
 
     
     
       4. The droplet discharging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the moved amount detector and the droplet discharger are arranged adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       5. The droplet discharging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the droplet discharger has a plurality of droplet discharging parts arranged in a row,
 wherein the moved amount detector is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the row of the droplet discharging parts. 
 
     
     
       6. The droplet discharging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the droplet discharger has a plurality of droplet discharging parts arranged in a row,
 wherein the moved amount detector is arranged in series with the row of the droplet discharging parts. 
 
     
     
       7. The droplet discharging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the droplet discharging apparatus comprises a housing to which the posture detector is mounted, and 
 the posture detector is mounted at a center position between two walls of the housing. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of detecting a position on a movement surface of a mounted object, the method comprising:
 detecting an amount of movement of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 detecting, from an angular velocity caused by the movement of the mounted object, at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; wherein the detected angular velocity is obtained from a single sensor;  
 calculating the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and 
 discharging a liquid droplet for forming an image at the position depending on the position of the mounted object. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program stored therein for causing a processor to execute a method of detecting a position on a movement surface of a mounted object, the method comprising:
 detecting an amount of movement of the mounted object on the movement surface; 
 detecting, from an angular velocity caused by the movement of the mounted object, at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; wherein the detected angular velocity is obtained from a single sensor;  
 calculating the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and 
 discharging a liquid droplet for forming an image at the position depending on the position of the mounted object. 
 
     
     
       10. A droplet discharging apparatus comprising:
 a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement of the droplet discharging apparatus on a medium;   a posture detector configured to detect, from an angular velocity caused by the movement of the droplet discharging apparatus, at least a posture of the droplet discharging apparatus;   a position calculator configured to calculate a position of the droplet discharging apparatus, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and   a droplet discharger configured to discharge a liquid droplet for forming an image based on the position of the droplet discharging apparatus calculated by the position calculator.    
     
     
       11. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the posture detector detects angular velocity of the droplet discharging apparatus that moves during image forming.  
     
     
       12. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the posture detector detects the angular velocity of the droplet discharging apparatus that is rotated around an axis perpendicular to the medium.  
     
     
       13. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the position calculator calculates the position, based on the amount of movement and an angle of rotation by adding up the angular velocity.  
     
     
       14. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising;
 a memory configured to store an initial position of the droplet discharging apparatus and the amount of movement detected by the moved amount detector;   a controller configured to execute initialization of the memory by a power turned on, and indicate that the discharging apparatus is in a state ready once the initialization has been completed.    
     
     
       15. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the moved amount detector and the posture detector are mounted on a printed circuit board.  
     
     
       16. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the posture detector is placed away from a heating element inside of the droplet discharging apparatus.  
     
     
       17. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the posture detector is mounted on a base of the droplet discharging apparatus.  
     
     
       18. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10,
 wherein the droplet discharger has a plurality of droplet discharging parts arranged in a row, and   wherein the moved amount detector is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the row of the droplet discharging parts.    
     
     
       19. The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising;
 a housing to which the posture detector is mounted,   wherein the posture detector is mounted at a center position between two walls of the housing.    
     
     
       20. A method for detecting a position of a droplet discharging apparatus, the method comprising:
 detecting an amount of movement of the droplet discharging apparatus on the medium:   detecting, from an angular velocity caused by the movement of the droplet discharging apparatus, at least a posture of the droplet discharging apparatus; wherein the detected angular velocity is obtained from a single sensor;   calculating a position of the droplet discharging apparatus, based on the amount of movement and the posture; and   discharging a liquid droplet for forming an image based on the calculated position of the droplet discharging apparatus.