Digital camera with interactive printer

• US 7,728,872 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Walmsley, Simon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US10/974,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.2, 348/207.1, 348/231.2, 358/1.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/02 starting with single sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0006 by applying adhesive to a stack of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2261/04 Producing books by printing sheets in following order, e.g. for ordering via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/04 for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 : Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 : characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 : Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 : Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 : the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 : Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• 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 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• 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 1/00334 : with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 : with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 : Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 : Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 : Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 : Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 : Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 : Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 : Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 : Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A camera for capturing and printing an image. The camera includes a camera module which captures an image via an image sensor. The image is transferred to a network interface module which transfers the image to a computer system. The image is also transferred to a printing mechanism which prints an interface onto a surface. The interface includes the image and coded data at least partially indicative of an identity of the image, thereby allowing the identity of the image to be obtained from the interface. The computer system is then responsive to the identity of the image to perform an action with the image.

Claims

1. A camera for capturing and printing an image, the camera including:

(a) a camera module, including an image sensor, configured to;

(i) receive a user input; and

(ii) capture, via the image sensor and in response to the user input, the image;

(b) a network interface module configured to;

(i) receive, from the camera module, the image; and

(ii) transfer the image to a computer system; and

(c) a printing module, including a printing mechanism and a removable cartridge having print media and ink supplies for the printing mechanism, configured to;

(i) receive, from the camera module, the image;

(ii) print the image onto a page of a plurality of pages of the print media supplied by the cartridge using first ink supplied by the cartridge, each page of the print media having an identity assigned by the computer system; and

(iii) when the cartridge contains second ink, print an interface onto the page of the supplied print media using the second ink, the interface including the image printed with the first ink and coded data printed with the second ink, which is at least partially indicative of the identity of the page and an identity of the image associated with the identity of the page, thereby allowing the identities of the page and image to be obtained from the interface.

2. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising an input module configured to:

(i) receive, from a sensing device, first indicating data, the first indicating data being generated in response to sensing of the coded data;

(ii) determine from the first indicating data, at least the identity of the image; and

,

(iii) generate second indicating data at least partially indicative of the identity of the image,

wherein the network interface module is further configured to receive, from the input module, the second indicating data, and transfer the second indicating data to the computer system and

the second indicating data is at least partially indicative of an identity of the camera.

3. A camera according to claim 2, wherein the input module is configured to:

(i) determine from the first indicating data, the identity of the image and at least one of;

(i) the location data; and

,

(ii) the first region identity data; and

,

(ii) generate the second indicating data such that the second indicating data is at least partially indicative of the identity of the image, and at least one of;

(i) the location of the sensing device relative to the interface; and

,

(ii) the identity of the region.

4. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the printing module includes a coded data generator configured to generate at least one of the coded data and second coded data.

5. A camera according to claim 4, wherein coded data includes a plurality of tags, the coded data generator being configured to ascertain a position of each tag prior to printing the interface, the respective positions being determined on the basis of a coded data layout.

6. A camera according to claim 5, wherein the printing module is configured to receive the coded data layout from the computer system.

7. A camera according to claim 1, wherein coded data includes a plurality of tags, each tag being indicative of an identity.

8. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is not substantially visible to an average unaided human eye under daylight or ambient lighting conditions.

9. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the printing module includes an ink printing mechanism, and is configured to print the coded data and additional information substantially simultaneously onto the surface.