CAMERA INCORPORATING SWIPE PRINTER AND REMOVABLE INK CARTRIDGE

• US 20110181737A1
• Filed: 04/03/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Application Number:
  US13/078,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A digital camera includes a housing having a front surface, a rear surface, a base surface and an inclined surface adjoining the rear and base surfaces; an image sensor for capturing an image, the image sensor provided on the front surface; a printer located within the housing for printing the captured image on media external to the camera, a printhead of the printer being provided on the inclined surface and at an angle normal thereto; an ink cartridge having one or more longitudinal ink reservoirs, the ink cartridge removably received in a receptacle defined in the rear surface and biased into ink communication pins in the receptacle by a resilient member arranged at one end of the ink cartridge opposite the ink communication pins; and a speed sensor for sensing a speed at which the camera traverses the media. The printhead of the printer is operated in accordance with the speed sensed by the speed sensor, and the inclined surface is presented parallel to the media to effect printing.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a housing having a front surface, a rear surface, a base surface and an inclined surface adjoining the rear and base surfaces;

an image sensor for capturing an image, the image sensor provided on the front surface;

a printer located within the housing for printing the captured image on media external to the camera, a printhead of the printer being provided on the inclined surface and at an angle normal thereto;

an ink cartridge having one or more longitudinal ink reservoirs, the ink cartridge removably received in a receptacle defined in the rear surface and biased into ink communication pins in the receptacle by a resilient member arranged at one end of the ink cartridge opposite the ink communication pins; and

a speed sensor for sensing a speed at which the camera traverses the media, wherein

the printhead of the printer is operated in accordance with the speed sensed by the speed sensor, and

the inclined surface is presented parallel to the media to effect printing.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the printhead is a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.

3. The printer of claim 1, further comprising a digital storage device for digitally storing the image captured by the image sensor;

4. The camera of claim 1, wherein the digital storage device is a removable memory card.

5. The camera of claim 4, wherein the memory card is stored within a chassis having an integrally formed battery housing adapted to receive and retain a battery for powering the camera.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein the speed sensor comprises:

an optical encoder wheel protruding from the inclined surface at a normal thereto, the optical encoder wheel having a plurality of markings disposed circumferentially thereon;

an optical sensor for sensing the markings; and

an idle wheel protruding from the inclined surface at a normal thereto and provided at an opposite end of the inclined surface from the optical encoder wheel, the idle wheel for assisting the digital camera to traverse the media.

7. The camera of claim 1, wherein the ink cartridge comprises an authentication integrated circuit, the authentication integrated circuting for communicating with the camera to indicate an authenticity of the replaceable ink cartridge and at least one of a type and quality of ink remaining in the cartridge.

8. The camera of claim 1, wherein, the base surface is the surface on which the digital camera is supported at rest