Printing a business card using a mobile device

• US 7,646,503 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia, Walmsley, Simon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler L
• Assistant Examiner(s): DICKER, DENNIS T
• Application Number:
  US11/228,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 115, 358/473, 235/381, 235/462.45, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/207 Encoding along a bar
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/02 Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management

Abstract

A system for printing a business card on a print medium that has coded data indicative of a print medium identifier. The system has a mobile telecommunications device and an association between the print medium identifier and a contact detail relevant to the business. The mobile telecommunications device has an inbuilt printer module to print the business card and the contact detail relevant to a business, an interface for connection to a remote server and, a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium.

Claims

1. A system for printing a business card on a print medium that has coded data indicative of a print medium identifier, the system comprising:

a mobile telecommunications device that has an inbuilt

printer module to print the business card on the print medium such that the print medium shows at least one contact detail relevant to a business, an interface for connection to a remote server and,

a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium; and

,

an association between the print medium identifier and the at least one contact detail such that the sensor module decodes the print medium identifier from the coded data to perform an action in relation to the contact detail.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein information associated with the business card is stored in an archive.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded data is encoded in a linear pattern on the print medium.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded data is encoded in a two dimensional pattern and is further indicative of a two-dimensional coordinate grid.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, 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 association of the at least one contact detail with the print media identifier is stored in a database.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded data comprises 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.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the database is stored remotely at the remote server.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile telecommunications device further includes:

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.

10. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein information associated with the business card can be subsequently retrieved from the archive using the print media identifier.

11. The system as claimed in claim 7, 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.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein printing requires paying for the business card using the mobile telecommunications device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded data is further indicative of at least part of a digital signature associated with the print media identifier, wherein during use, the printer module prints the business card upon successful authentication of the digital signature.

14. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the printed business card is a permission token readable using the sensor module to retrieve information associated with the business 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.

15. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein printing the business card causes the information associated with the business card to be stored in the archive.

16. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information associated with the business card includes one or more of:

the business card;

a visual description of the business card;

an image of the business card;

an interactive description of the business card;

contents of the business card; and

business card details.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the business card includes 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 printed on the print medium.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the business card is received wirelessly by the mobile communications device.