PRINTING SYSTEM USING A CELLULAR TELEPHONE

• US 20100069116A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Walmsley, Simon Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• 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 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

A printing system is provided having a cellular telephone which has an input at which a print medium is loaded into the telephone, a printer, and a sensor for sensing an identifier of the loaded print medium. The cellular telephone uses the sensed identifier to determine whether or not the loaded print medium is a valid print medium on which printing can be performed by the printer. If the loaded print medium is determined to be valid, the cellular telephone controls the printer to print on the loaded print medium. If the loaded print medium is determined to not be valid, the cellular telephone ejects the loaded print medium at the input.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising a cellular telephone which comprises:

an input at which a print medium is loaded into the telephone;

a printer; and

a sensor for sensing an identifier of the loaded print medium,

wherein the cellular telephone uses the sensed identifier to determine whether or not the loaded print medium is a valid print medium on which printing can be performed by the printer,

if the loaded print medium is determined to be valid, the cellular telephone controlling the printer to print on the loaded print medium, and

if the loaded print medium is determined to not be valid, the cellular telephone ejecting the loaded print medium at the input.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the print medium is provided with coded data in a format, the coded data encoding information, at least some of the information being indicative of the identifier.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the format is a linear pattern.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information is further indicative of a two-dimensional coordinate grid, and the format is a two-dimensional pattern.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the printer prints at least some of the coded data on the print medium.

6. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cellular telephone comprises a media feed path, such that when the print medium is loaded into the media feed path at least some of the coded data is read using the sensor, and the identifier is determined using the read coded data.