Patent ID: 8018478

Claim:
A device for printing onto a print medium, the device including: a media feed path for receiving a print medium, the print medium including: a data track extending in a media feed direction and encoding at least a clock signal; and second coded data distributed as a two dimensional pattern across an area of the print medium, the second coded data encoding a two-dimensional coordinate grid of the area; at least two sensors in the media feed path configured to sense the data track of the print medium while the print medium is moved through the media feed path; a fire control processor connected to the sensors to extract the clock signal from the data track, and to generate a fire control signal based upon the clock signal; a third sensor for sensing the second coded data; a processor for extracting two-dimensional coordinate grid positions from the second coded data, to determine a relative two-dimensional position of the print medium with respect to the printhead from the two-dimensional coordinate grid positions; a printhead for printing onto the print medium in response to the fire control signal and based upon the relative two-dimensional position, wherein the at least two sensors include a first sensor positioned ahead of the printhead in the media feed direction and a second sensor positioned after the printhead in the media feed direction, the clock signal being extracted from input from the first sensor before printing commences on a leading end portion of the print medium, and the clock signal being extracted from input from the second sensor while printing a trailing end portion of the print medium.