Personal digital assistant with internal printer

• US 6,942,334 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Ly T.
• Application Number:
  US10/040,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 347/109, 347/105, 347/108, 400/88, 400/613, 400/693, 361/683
• US Class Current: 347/109
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/706 using a cutting tool mounted on a reciprocating carrier
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/023 with reduced dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/202 Air convective hinge
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 : Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

A personal digital assistant 901 stores personal information in an electronic and transportable from. The digital assistant includes a body section 902 connected to a display screen 904. The body 902 houses a memory, control circuitry for operating the personal digital assistant and an internal printer 500 for printing stored and/or displayed information. The printer 500 has a removable ink/print media cartridge 504 disposed in the hinge joint 905 connecting the body section 902 and the display screen 904.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant including a body section connected to a display through a hinge joint;

the hinge joint defining a substantially enclosed space internal to one or more components of the hinge;

a memory housed within said body section;

a printer;

a controller housed within said body section and allowing a user to selectively retrieve information from said memory, to display information on the display and to print information using said printer; and

input means allowing a user to cater and store new information in said memory;

wherein at least one of a printhead of the printer, a print media supply of the printer and an ink supply of the printer is housed within the cavity of the hinge joint.

2. The personal digital assistant of claim 1 including a supply of print media disposed in said hinge joint.

3. The personal digital assistant of claim 2, the hinge joint including a releasable cover portion through which a portion of said printer means including said print media and/or an ink cartridge can be removed.

4. The personal digital assistant of claim 1 wherein said printer means includes a monolithic pagewidth printhead.

5. The personal digital assistant of claim 4 wherein said printhead is an ink jet printhead.