Printer with hardware and software interfaces for peripheral devices

• US 20050071520A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Graham, Jamey, Hart, Peter E., Hull, Jonathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,528,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A printing system enables the printing of multimedia received from a device that is docked on the printer. Based on received multimedia data, the printing system produces a paper or other printed output as well as a related electronic output. Together, the printed and electronic outputs provide a representation of the multimedia. The printer is also capable of communicating and controlling the functionality of the peripheral device. Depending on the desired application for the printer, the printer may include any combination of mechanisms for receiving media data, printing the printed output, and producing the electronic output.

Claims

1. A system for printing multimedia data, the system comprising:

an interface for receiving a multimedia data from a peripheral device; and

a multimedia processing system coupled to the interface to receive the multimedia, the multimedia processing system performing a multimedia function on the multimedia data, wherein the multimedia processing system resides at least in part on the system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the multimedia function comprises determining an electronic representation of the multimedia data.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a first output device in communication with the multimedia processing system to receive the electronic representation, the first output device producing a corresponding electronic output from the electronic representation of the multimedia data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic output is stored on a media recorder.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic output is stored on a removable storage device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the removable storage device is selected from a group consisting of a DVD, a CD-ROM, an audio cassette tape, a video tape, a flash card, a memory stick, and a computer disk.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic output comprises a web page.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the multimedia function comprises determining a printed representation of the multimedia data.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a second output device in communication with the multimedia processing system to receive the printed representation, the second output device producing a corresponding printed output from the printed representation of the multimedia data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the printed output is generated on a video paper.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a parallel port.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a wireless communication interface.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a serial interface.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the serial interface is an USB interface.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a docking station.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the docking station is built into the system.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises an optical port.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a video port.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a port for connecting the peripheral device, the port selected from a group consisting of SCSI, IDE, RJ11, composite video, component video and S-video.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a removable storage reader.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the removable storage reader comprises media reader selected from a group consisting of a DVD reader, a flash card reader, a memory stick reader, a CD reader, a computer disk reader, and an SD reader.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a cellular telephone.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a video camcorder.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a digital audio recorder.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a media input device selected from a group consisting of a DVD reader, a video cassette tape reader, a CD reader, an audio cassette tape reader, a flash card reader, digital video recorder, a video capture device, and a meeting recorder.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia function comprises processing a video stream.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the multimedia function comprises extracting a key frame from a video stream.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the multimedia function comprises generating a bar code, the bar code corresponding to a video segment in the video stream.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia function comprises generating a web page representation of the multimedia data.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia processing system is configured to communicate with the peripheral device.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia processing system is configured to control functionality in the peripheral device.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia processing system resides at least in part on the peripheral device.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to automatically detect a communicative coupling of a peripheral device.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to automatically download multimedia data from the peripheral device.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a cellular telephone.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a video camcorder.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a digital audio recorder.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a media input device selected from a group consisting of a DVD reader, a video cassette tape reader, a CD reader, an audio cassette tape reader, a flash card reader, digital video recorder, a video capture device, and a meeting recorder.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia function comprises processing a video stream.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the multimedia function comprises extracting a key frame from a video stream.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the multimedia function comprises generating a bar code, the bar code corresponding to a video segment in the video stream.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia function comprises generating a web page representation of the multimedia data.

50. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a functionality in the peripheral device.

51. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically detecting a communicative coupling of a peripheral device.

52. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically downloading the multimedia data from the peripheral device.

35. A method for printing multimedia data, the method comprising:

receiving a multimedia data from a peripheral device;

performing a multimedia function on the multimedia data;

determining an electronic representation of the multimedia data; and

producing a corresponding electronic output from the electronic representation of the multimedia data.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronic output is stored on a media recorder.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronic output is stored on a removable storage device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the removable storage device is selected from a group consisting of a DVD, a CD-ROM, an audio cassette tape, a video tape, a flash card, a memory stick, and a computer disk.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronic output comprises a web page.

40. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

determining a printed representation of the multimedia data; and

producing a corresponding printed output from the printed representation of the multimedia data.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the printed output is generated on a video paper.