Portable electronic device with printing mechanism

• US 6,742,887 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ando, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIANG, LEONARD S
• Application Number:
  US10/159,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/557, 455/407, 455/73, 347/2, 347/109, 347/85, 347/108, 400/88, 400/717
• US Class Current: 347/109
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras

Abstract

The invention provides a portable communication apparatus capable of minimizing the ink tank incorporated therein and easily and simply printing the data stored therein even while it is carried. For this purpose there is disclosed a configuration incorporating a printing mechanism and adapted to execute ink filling and waste ink collection for the printing mechanism at the battery charging operation of the portable communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device system comprising:

a portable electronic device having an information input portion, an information informing portion, a rechargeable battery, an ink jet head, an ink holding portion for holding ink to be supplied to the head, and a waste ink storing portion for storing waste ink that has not been used in recording and has been discharged from the head;

a retaining apparatus having a mount portion for mounting of the portable electronic device thereon, said retaining apparatus further having a charging mechanism for charging the battery, an ink tank for replenishing the ink holding portion with ink, and a waste ink collecting portion for collecting the waste ink;

wherein said portable electronic device is constructed to conduct printing on a supplied paper sheet either while mounted or not mounted to said retaining apparatus, and

wherein while said portable electronic device is mounted to said retaining apparatus, the rechargeable battery is connected to the charging mechanism to conduct battery charging, the ink holding portion is connected to the ink tank to conduct ink replenishment, and the waste ink storing portion is connected to the waste ink collecting portion to conduct waste ink collection.

2. The portable electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is a portable telephone or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The portable electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the information informing portion is a display, a speaker, or a vibrator.

4. The portable electronic device system according to claim 3, wherein it is informed by vibration that the remaining amount of printing ink has become low.

5. The portable electronic device system according to claim 3, wherein it is informed by sound that the remaining amount of printing ink has become low.

6. The portable electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the information informing portion is adapted to display the remaining amount of printing ink on said display.

7. The portable electronic device system according to claim 6, wherein the display indicates that the remaining amount of printing ink has become low.

8. The portable printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein communication with said portable electronic device is executed by a wireless communication means.

9. The portable printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein communication with said portable electronic device is executed by an infrared communication means.