Printer and docking station having a digital camera docking port with an image magnifier

• US 20040212822A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Schinner, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,312,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00246 with an optical device, e.g. an optical viewing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0062 Stand-alone interface device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

The present invention directly interfaces a digital camera to a printer for printing images stored by the digital camera. A printer that directly docks with the digital camera includes a docking port and an image magnifier. The docking port includes mechanical and data interfaces between the printer and the digital camera. The digital camera includes a display unit that is used for viewing the images magnified by the image magnifier while the digital camera is interfaced to the printer. A docking station that docks the digital camera to a printer includes a docking port and an image magnifier. The docking port includes a mechanical interface to the digital camera and a data interface to the digital camera and the printer. The printer and the docking station may include a user interface to manipulate the images stored by the digital camera.

Claims

1. A printer that prints an image directly from a digital camera comprising:

a docking port that docks the digital camera comprising;

a mechanical interface that accepts and holds the digital camera; and

a data interface that receives an image file stored in the docked digital camera;

an image magnifier that magnifies an image displayed by a camera display unit while the digital camera is docked to the docking port.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein while the digital camera is docked in the docking port, a user of the printer views the magnified image using the display unit.

3. The printer of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface in electrical communication with the docking port, the user interface comprising buttons or keys that a user manipulates in order to one or more of view, select, edit and print an image from the image file stored by the digital camera while the digital camera is docked to the docking port.

4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the docking port is removably attached to the printer, the user interface optionally being integral to the removably attached docking port.

5. The printer of claim 1, wherein the docking port is integral to the printer.

6. A printer that prints an image directly from a digital camera comprising:

means for interfacing the digital camera directly to the printer, such that the image stored in the digital camera is communicated to the printer;

means for printing that converts the image from the interfaced digital camera into a printed image; and

an image magnifier, wherein the digital camera comprises a display unit, a user of the printer viewing the image to be printed from the interfaced digital camera using the display unit, the image magnifier magnifying the image displayed by the display unit for the user.

7. The printer of claim 6, wherein the means for interfacing comprises a docking port, the docking port comprising a data interface that receives the image stored in the digital camera.

8. The printer of claim 7, wherein the docking port further comprises a mechanical interface to accept and hold the digital camera, and wherein the means for interfacing optionally further comprises an adaptor that adapts any digital camera of a plurality of different digital camera makes and models directly to the docking port.

9. The printer of claim 7, wherein the means for interfacing further comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising a plurality of buttons that are manipulated by the user of the printer in conjunction with the display unit to one or more of select, view, edit and print the stored image from the digital camera.

10. The printer of claim 6, wherein the image magnifier comprises a lens and a frame that supports the lens, the image magnifier optionally further comprising means for adjusting the image magnifier relative to the display unit to focus the magnified view.

11. A docking station that docks a digital camera with a printer for direct printing of an image stored in the digital camera comprising:

a docking port that comprises a mechanical interface between the digital camera and the docking station, and a data interface between the digital camera, the docking station and the printer while the digital camera is docked directly to the docking port; and

an image magnifier, wherein the digital camera comprises a display unit, a user of the docking station using the display unit to view the image to be printed that is stored by the docked digital camera, the image magnifier being adjacent to the display unit of the docked digital camera to provide a magnified view of the image displayed to the user.

12. The docking station of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface that comprises buttons or keys, the user of the docking station manipulating the keys in conjunction with the display unit to one or more of select, view, edit and print an image from a plurality of images stored by the docked digital camera.

13. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the digital camera further comprises a user interface that comprises buttons or keys, the user of the docking station manipulating the keys to one or more of select, view and edit an image from a plurality of images stored by the docked digital camera, the user directing the printer to print a selected image using the keys.

14. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the image magnifier comprises a lens supported by a frame, the frame being attached to the docking station.

15. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the docking station provides power to the docked digital camera using the docking port.

16. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the docking port is either specific to a particular digital camera or capable of interfacing to any camera of a plurality of different digital cameras.

17. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the docking port further comprises an adaptor that adapts one or both of the mechanical interface and the data interface of any digital camera of a plurality of different digital camera makes and models to the docking station.

18. A docking station that docks a digital camera with a printer for direct printing of an image stored in the digital camera comprising:

means for interfacing the digital camera to the docking station and to the printer, such that the image stored by the digital camera is directly communicated to the printer; and

an image magnifier, wherein the digital camera comprises a display unit, a user of the docking station viewing the image to be printed from the interfaced digital camera using the display unit, the image magnifier magnifying the image displayed by the display unit.

19. The docking station of claim 18, wherein the means for interfacing comprises a docking port, the docking port comprising:

a mechanical interface that accepts and holds the digital camera in the docking port; and

a data interface that receives the image stored in the interfaced digital camera and directly communicates the image to the printer, the docking station optionally providing power to the interfaced digital camera using the docking port.

20. The docking station of claim 18, wherein the means for interfacing comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising a plurality of buttons that are manipulated by the user of the docking station in conjunction with the display unit to one or more of select, view, edit and print the stored image from the digital camera.