Hand held mobile phone with integral internal printer

• US 6,628,430 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibbs, Heather D
• Application Number:
  US09/436,589
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 379/433.01, 379/428.01, 455/557
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/00 Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in short lengths, e.g. sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 : with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 : Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00525 : Providing a more compact apparatus, e.g. sheet discharge tray in cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 : Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0062 : Removing sheets from a stack or inputting media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00631 : Ejecting or stacking H04N1/00641 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/04 : Scanning arrangements , i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versaH04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 : using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 : using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 : Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 : Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera

Abstract

A hand held mobile phone device with integral internal print apparatus, the device including a mobile telephone unit for transmitting and receiving signals, processing means for processing the received and transmitted signals into a printable form, a printhead and ink distribution unit assembly attached to the processing means for printing out the processed signals onto a print media, and print media feed means to feed print media received from a supply external of the phone device to the printhead for printing of the processed signal information thereon. Preferably, the printhead is a page width ink jet printhead formed as a printhead chip using MEMS processing techniques. In a preferred form, the printer phone may be used with a separate print media dispensing device that includes a print media storage region having a dispensing outlet and a printer phone cradle to support the printer phone and align its print media inlet with the dispensing outlet of the print media storage region. A dispensing ejector mechanism is also provided that is operable to eject a predetermined quantity of print media through the dispensing outlet and into the printer phone print media inlet for engagement with the associated print media feed means located in the phone.

Claims

1. A hand held mobile phone device with integral internal print apparatus, said device comprising:

a mobile telephone unit for transmitting and receiving signals;

processing means for processing said received and transmitted signals into a printable form;

a printhead and ink distribution unit assembly attached to said processing means for printing out said processed signals onto a print media; and

print media feed means to feed print media received from a supply external of said phone device to said printhead for printing of said processed signal information thereon.

2. A device according to claim 1 adapted to use print media in the form of paper or card sheets.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said cards are substantially the size of an average business card.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said printhead comprises a single printhead unit of the width of said print media.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is formed by a semi-conductor fabrication technique.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said printhead and ink distribution unit assembly is detachable from said device.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said printhead is a full color printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly includes a series of ink supply reservoirs to supply separate colors to each of said colors of said printhead.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said printhead is an ink jet printhead.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said printhead is a printhead manufactured by a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) processing technique.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said printhead comprises an array of ink ejection nozzle arrangements wherein liquid is ejected from nozzle chambers by means of activation of a corresponding actuator attached to each of the nozzle arrangements.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said actuator is a thermal bend actuator.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink distribution unit connected with said printhead includes a series of attached ink supply reservoirs and a first of said reservoirs is substantially larger than the others.

13. A device as claimed in any previous claim wherein said printhead and ink supply module includes some form of authentication means.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the authentication device is an authentication chip.

15. A device as claimed in claim 1 including a camera facility.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the camera facility can also operate as a video facility.