Personal digital assistant incorporating a printer

• US 7,722,186 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Manish S
• Application Number:
  US12/246,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20090027476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 347/108, 347/109, 347/101
• US Class Current: 347/108
• 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

Provided is a personal digital assistant. A printer is arranged in a body section. The printer includes a printhead, a motor driver and a media transport device arrangement for transporting print media from a roll of print media past the printhead. A motor driver and guillotine motor arrangement sever the printed print media from the roll of media. A microcontroller controls the printhead and respective motor driver arrangements.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant comprising:

a body section; and

an internal printed arranged in the body section, the internal printer comprising

a printhead;

a motor driver and media transport device arrangement for transporting print media from a roll of print media past the printhead;

a motor driver and guillotine motor arrangement for severing the printed print media from the roll of media; and

a microcontroller for controlling the printhead and respective motor driver arrangements.

2. The personal digital assistant of claim 1, wherein the printhead is a monolithic pagewidth printhead.

3. The personal digital assistant of claim 1, which includes a print engine controller linking the microcontroller and the printhead.

4. The personal digital assistant of claim 3, wherein the print engine controller is configured to receive print data from a memory of the digital assistant or from a display screen dump.

5. The personal digital assistant of claim 1, wherein the motor driver and guillotine motor arrangement includes a cutter wheel driven by the guillotine motor to sever the print media.

6. The personal digital assistant of claim 4, having a control panel with control buttons to activate the print engine controller to print stored information either from the memory or as a screen dump from a display screen of the PDA.

7. The personal digital assistant of claim 6, wherein said control panel includes a touch screen integrated into the display screen.