Hand held mobile phone with integral internal printer with print media supply

• US 6,915,140 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US10/159,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/66.1, 455/73, 455/575.4, 455/575.8, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/128, 455/344, 455/500, 455/517, 455/351, 455/347, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/575.1, 379/433.01, 379/428.01, 358/1.8, 358/1.15, 358/502, 358/503, 358/508, 358/473, 235/379
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 mobile phone device having an image sensor adapted to sense images, a mobile phone processor adapted to transmit sensed images and to receive received images and a printer processor adapted to instruct a printer assembly inside the mobile phone device to print sensed and received images.

Claims

1. A mobile phone device with integral internal print apparatus and print media supply, the device comprising:

an image sensor adapted to sense images;

a mobile telephone unit adapted to transmit and receive images;

an internal print media storage unit adapted to store print media;

processing means for processing the sensed and received images into a printable form;

a printhead and ink distribution unit assembly in communication with the processing means for printing out the processed images onto the print media; and

print media feed means to feed the print media from the storage means to the printhead for printing of the processed images thereon.

2. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or more of the print media storage unit, the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly are replaceable.

3. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 wherein one or more of the print media storage unit the printhead and the ink distribution unit are replaceable by means of a snap-fit engagement.

4. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the print media comprises paper or card sheets.

5. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the paper or card sheets are substantially the size of an average business card.

6. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises a single printhead unit of approximately the width of the print media and which has been formed using semiconductor fabrication techniques.

7. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises a full colour printhead.

8. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the ink distribution unit assembly of the printer assembly comprises a series of ink supply reservoirs adapted to supply separate colours to the printhead.

9. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 8 wherein one of the series of ink supply reservoirs is substantially larger than the others.

10. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly is an ink jet printhead.

11. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the printhead is a printhead chip manufactured by a MEMS processing technique.

12. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises an array of ink ejection nozzles and nozzle chambers, each nozzle chamber containing ink and each nozzle having art open and a closed position and being adapted to eject ink from its corresponding nozzle chamber when in its open position.

13. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 12 wherein each ink ejection nozzle is in its closed position when covered by a thermal bend actuator and wherein each ink ejection nozzle is in its open position when not covered by a thermal bend actuator, each thermal bend actuator being responsive to an electrical pulse to selectively cover and uncover its corresponding ink ejection nozzle.

14. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly includes some form of authentication means.

15. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 further including a scanner adapted to scan printed images.

16. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the print media is in the form of a paper print roll.

17. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the print media storage unit comprises a cartridge adapted to store the paper print roll.

18. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the cartridge also houses an ink supply.

19. A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the printead of the printer assembly comprises a full colour printhead and to ink supply of the cartridge comprises a series of ink supply reservoirs adapted to supply separate colours to the colour printhead.