Printing a greeting card using a mobile device

• US 7,575,172 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Walmsley, Simon Robert, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US11/228,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/493, 235/387, 235/492, 380/23, 380/51, 704/3, 705/23, 206/232, 358/1.15, 358/473, 358/305, 358/448, 379/114, 379/29.1, 455/556, 455/557, 455/414, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 382/305, 382/100, 283/74
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0063 Handling thick cut sheets, e.g. greeting cards or postcards, larger than credit cards, e.g. using means for enabling or facilitating the conveyance of thick sheets B41J11/20, B41J13/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras

Abstract

A system for printing a greeting card on a print medium, the system comprising: a mobile telecommunications device which comprises: a printer module to print the greeting card on the print medium; and, a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium.

Claims

1. A system for printing a greeting card on a print medium, the system comprising:

a mobile phone device which comprises;

a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium, the print medium identifier uniquely identifying the print medium;

a printer module to print the greeting card on the print medium; and

a processor operatively connected to the sensor module and printer module, and configured to, in response to the printer module printing the greeting card, prompt a user regarding selling an access permission, receive an access permission setting from the user, and store information associated with the greeting card in an archive, the information being stored in association with the print medium identifier and with the access permission setting.

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 indicative of the print media 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 module prints at least some of the coded data on the print medium.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the print medium is provided with first coded data in a first format and second coded data in a second format, the first coded data encoding first information and the second coded data encoding second information, at least some of the first information being indicative of the print media identifier, the first format being a linear pattern, at least some of the second information being indicative of the print media identifier and of a two-dimensional coordinate grid, the second format being a two-dimensional pattern.

7. The system as claimed in claim 2, the mobile phone device including:

a media feed path, such that when the print medium is presented in the media feed path at least some of the coded data is read using the sensor module, and the print media identifier is determined using the at least some read coded data.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the greeting card is retrievable from the archive using the print media identifier.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the print medium includes at least one interactive element associated with a linked object, and the linked object is associated with a region of the print medium using the second coded data, and the linked object is stored in an object repository.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein printing requires paying for the greeting card using the mobile phone device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information is further indicative of at least part of a digital signature associated with the print media identifier, wherein the sensor module determines at least part of the digital signature by reading at least some of the coded data and the printer module prints the greeting card if the digital signature is authentic.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printed greeting card is a permission token readable using the sensor module to retrieve information associated with the greeting card, the information including at least one of:

a name;

an address;

a telephone number;

a facsimile number;

an e-mail address;

a web address;

a photograph; and

contact details.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the greeting card includes one or more of:

the greeting card;

a visual description of the greeting card;

an image of the greeting card;

an interactive description of the greeting card;

contents of the greeting card; and

greeting card details.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the greeting card includes at least one of:

a message;

a name;

an address;

a telephone number;

a facsimile number;

an e-mail address;

a web address;

a photograph; and

contact details printed on the print medium.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the greeting card is printed periodically by the mobile phone device.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the coded data is indicative of at least one of

an orientation of the greeting card;

a pre-printed side of the greeting card; and

an indication of prior printing on the greeting card.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the print medium is provided with coded data encoding information, at least some of the coded data being coincident with at least some visual information of the greeting card.