Postcard printing camera printing postage paid tokens

• US 7,360,850 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/846,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 347/2, 347/109, 348/376
• US Class Current: 347/2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17506 Refilling of the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/58 Baseboards, masking frames, or other holders for the sensitive material G03B27/53 takes precedence ; for electrophotographic copiers G03G15/65
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/40 Double plate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• 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 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A recyclable, one-time use, print on demand, digital camera is provided which has an image sensor device for sensing an image. A processor processes the sensed image. A pagewidth printhead prints the sensed image. An ink supply arrangement supplies ink to the print head and the image is printed on print media from a supply of print media. The printer prints tokens designating that postage has been paid so that each image printed out on the print media has one such token associated with it.

Claims

1. A recyclable, one-time use, print on demand, digital camera comprising:

an image sensor device for sensing an image;

a processing means for processing said sensed image;

a pagewidth print head for printing said sensed image;

an ink supply means for supplying ink to the print head; and

a supply of print media on to which said image is printed, wherein the printer is adapted to print tokens at regularly spaced intervals on one surface of the print media designating that postage has been paid so that each image printed out on the print media has one such token associated with it.

2. The camera of claim 1 in which the supply of print media is in the form of a roll.

3. The camera of claim 2 in which each token has an address zone and a blank zone for writing associated with it on said one surface to provide a postcard effect.

4. The camera of claim 2 in which each image is printed on an opposed surface of the print media.

5. The camera of claim 1 in which the token is in a currency of a country in which the camera is bought, with a notice to that effect being carried on an exterior of the camera.