Camera and controlling processing system

• US 7,483,050 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Walmsley, Simon Robert, Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Quang V
• Application Number:
  US10/729,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/207.2, 348/375, 348/376, 348/231.6, 347/104, 347/153, 347/157
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17 characterised by ink handling cleaning by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof B41J2/1652; for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/12 otherwise than by punching
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00965 : using a plug-in memory module, e.g. memory card, memory stick
• 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 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 : of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3261 : of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 : of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handheld camera having a sensor adapted to sense an image and a processing system. The processing system includes a a camera manager for controlling the sensing of the image, an image processing manager for manipulating the image and, a print manager for controlling printing of the manipulated image.

Claims

1. A handheld camera, said camera comprising:

a sensor adapted to sense an image;

a card reader for receiving predetermined data in the form of a card image printed on a card; and

a processing system comprising;

a camera manager for controlling the sensing of the image;

an image processing manager for manipulating the image;

an input controller operable to control the card reader to determine the card image; and

a print manager for controlling printing of the manipulated image,

wherein the input controller is further operable to rotate the card image in accordance with a skew of the card with respect to the card reader.

2. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, the camera comprising a printer for printing the manipulated images on media dispensed from a print roll, the print manager being adapted to control the printer.

3. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, the camera further comprising a user interface having at least one user input and one user output, the processing system comprising a user interface manager for controlling the user interface.

4. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 3, the user interface manager being adapted to cooperate with the camera manager to allow images to be sensed in accordance with commands received via the user interface.

5. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, the processing system comprising a file manager, the file manager being adapted to control the storage of images in a storage device.

6. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processing manager is adapted to manipulate the image in accordance with the received predetermined data.

7. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 6, wherein the card reader includes a card drive system for driving the card along a card path, and a card sensor extending across the width of the card path, and wherein the card reader is adapted to activate the card sensor and the drive system to detect the predetermined data as the card moves with respect to the card sensor.

8. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input controller is further operable to:

determine a card image in accordance with signals received from the card sensor; and

convert the card image to determine the predetermined data.

9. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 8, where the input controller is operable to:

decode the card image to determine a decoded card image data;

convert the decoded card image into byte data;

unscramble the byte data to determine the predetermined data; and

,

perform error detection.

10. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 7, the camera further comprising a card insertion sensor, the input controller being responsive to the card insertion sensor to activate the card drive system.

11. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 7, the camera further comprising an ejection input, the input controller being adapted to activate the card drive system to thereby eject the card in response to activation of the ejection input.

12. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, the camera comprising a guillotine the print manager being adapted to activate the guillotine to cut media from the print roll.

13. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1, the camera further comprising:

housing adapted to receiving a print roll for dispensing media on which images are printed, the print roll comprising a print roll authentication chip comprising authentication information stored thereon, and wherein

the print manager is adapted to;

authenticate the print roll in accordance with the authentication information; and

,

print the image in accordance with a successful authentication.

14. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 13, the print manager being adapted to perform the authentication by:

generating a challenge;

transferring the challenge to the print roll authentication chip, the print roll authentication chip being responsive to the challenge to generate a response;

receiving said response; and

,

authenticating the print roll in accordance with the response.