U.S. patent application number 11/750285 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-20 for digital palm pc having pagewide inkjet printer.
This patent application is currently assigned to Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd. Invention is credited to Kia Silverbrook.
Application Number | 20070216974 11/750285 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 3834094 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070216974 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Silverbrook; Kia |
September 20, 2007 |
DIGITAL PALM PC HAVING PAGEWIDE INKJET PRINTER
Abstract
A digital palm PC is provided which has a housing, a digital
storage device to store digitally text and/or image data, and a
pagewide inkjet printer located within the housing to receive
digital information from the digital storage device. The printer is
configured to print an image on media external thereto as the palm
PC traverses the media in a printing orientation.
Inventors: |
Silverbrook; Kia; (Balmain,
AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY LTD
393 DARLING STREET
BALMAIN
2041
AU
|
Assignee: |
Silverbrook Research Pty
Ltd
|
Family ID: |
3834094 |
Appl. No.: |
11/750285 |
Filed: |
May 17, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11505858 |
Aug 18, 2006 |
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11750285 |
May 17, 2007 |
|
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10503899 |
Aug 9, 2004 |
7140792 |
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PCT/AU03/00162 |
Feb 12, 2003 |
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11505858 |
Aug 18, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
358/534 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J 3/445 20130101;
G06F 1/1656 20130101; G06F 1/1684 20130101; B41J 3/36 20130101;
G06F 1/1626 20130101; G06F 1/1696 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
358/534 |
International
Class: |
B41B 1/02 20060101
B41B001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 13, 2002 |
AU |
PS0494 |
Claims
1. A digital palm PC comprising: a housing; a digital storage
device to store digitally text and/or image data; and a pagewide
inkjet printer located within the housing to receive digital
information from the digital storage device, the printer being
configured to print an image on media external thereto as the palm
PC traverses the media in a printing orientation.
2. A palm PC according to claim 1, further comprising a print
controller located within the housing for receiving image data and
converting the received image data into drop ejection control
signals, the print controller operating ink ejection nozzles of the
printer in accordance with the drop ejection control signals to
cause printing on said media.
3. A palm PC according to claim 1 wherein the printer includes a
pagewide drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.
4. A palm PC according to claim 1 further comprising an ink
reservoir in fluid communication with said printer for providing
ink thereto.
5. A palm PC according to claim 4, wherein said ink reservoir
includes at least one ink inlet via which the ink reservoir can be
recharged with ink.
6. A palm PC according to claim 1, further comprising a
rechargeable battery.
7. A palm PC according to claim 6, wherein the battery powers the
printer and a processor of the palm PC.
8. A palm PC according to claim 6, further comprising a power port
defined in the housing for recharging said battery.
9. A palm PC according to claim 1, further comprising a
communications port defined in the housing for receiving data.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This Application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/505,858 filed on Aug. 18, 2006,
which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/503,899, filed on 9 Aug. 2004, now issued U.S. Pat. No.
7,140,792, which is a 371 of PCT/AU03/00162, filed on Feb. 12,
2003, all of which is herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The following invention relates to a hand-held personal
computer known as a "palm PC", having a built-in printer.
BACKGROUND TO INVENTION
[0003] Known palm PCs have no means of providing an "instant"
print-out of text and/or images therefrom. Instead, if a print-out
is needed, the palm PC must communicate data stored therein to
another PC to which there is attached a printer.
[0004] The mere incorporation into a palm PC of a known
conventional printer device would not result in a compact, easily
portable palm PC. This is because prior printers incorporate a
supply of print media and employ a print media feed mechanism to
transport the print media past the printheads to effect printing
onto the print media. Moreover, known printers, having a supply of
print media, are large and heavier than would be desirable in a
portable palm PC that is sized and shaped to fit conveniently with
a user's pocket or purse for example.
CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
[0005] Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the
present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending
applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present
invention simultaneously with the present application:
TABLE-US-00001 PCT/AU03/00154 PCT/AU03/00151 PCT/AU03/00150
PCT/AU03/00145 PCT/AU03/00153 PCT/AU03/00152 PCT/AU03/00168
PCT/AU03/00169 PCT/AU03/00170 PCT/AU03/00162 PCT/AU03/00146
PCT/AU03/00159 PCT/AU03/00171 PCT/AU03/00149 PCT/AU03/00167
PCT/AU03/00158 PCT/AU03/00147 PCT/AU03/00166 PCT/AU03/00164
PCT/AU03/00163 PCT/AU03/00165 PCT/AU03/00160 PCT/AU03/00157
PCT/AU03/00148 PCT/AU03/00156 PCT/AU03/00155
[0006] The disclosures of these co-pending applications are
incorporated herein by cross-reference.
RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS
[0007] TABLE-US-00002 U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,652 U.S. Pat. No.
6,213,588 U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,589 U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,163 U.S. Pat.
No. 6,247,795 U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,581 U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,691 U.S.
Pat. No. 6,257,704 U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,168 U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,694
U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,705 U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,794 U.S. Pat. No.
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No. 6,241,342 U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,792 U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,307 U.S.
Pat. No. 6,254,220 U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,611 U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,528
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Pat. No. 6,243,113 U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,581 U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,790
U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,953 U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,469 U.S. Pat. No.
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Pat. No. 6,848,181 U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,735 U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,513
U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,323 U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,912 U.S. Pat. No.
6,604,810 U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,920 U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,422 U.S. Pat.
No. 6,655,786 U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,810 U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,135 U.S.
Pat. No. 6,566,858 U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,946 U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,970
U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,525 U.S. Pat. No. 09/505,951 U.S. Pat. No.
6,816,968 U.S. Pat. No. 6,757,832 U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,215 U.S. Pat.
No. 09/575,109 U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,289 U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,751 U.S.
Pat. No. 6,398,332 U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,573 U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,923
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,044 U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,661 U.S. Pat. No.
6,390,605 U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,195 U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,110 U.S. Pat.
No. 6,480,089 U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,778 U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,788 U.S.
Pat. No. 6,426,014 U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,453 U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,795
U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,624 U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,399 U.S. Pat. No.
6,338,548 U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,319 U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,431 U.S. Pat.
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Pat. No. 6,464,332 U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,591 U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,016
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PCT/AU98/00550 PCT/AU00/00516 PCT/AU00/00517 PCT/AU00/00511
PCT/AU00/00754 PCT/AU00/00755 PCT/AU00/00756 PCT/AU00/00757
PCT/AU00/00095 PCT/AU00/00172 PCT/AU00/00338 PCT/AU00/00339
PCT/AU00/00340 PCT/AU00/00341 PCT/AU00/00581 PCT/AU00/00580
PCT/AU00/00582 PCT/AU00/00587 PCT/AU00/00588 PCT/AU00/00589
PCT/AU00/00583 PCT/AU00/00593 PCT/AU00/00590 PCT/AU00/00591
PCT/AU00/00592 PCT/AU00/00584 PCT/AU00/00585 PCT/AU00/00586
PCT/AU00/00749 PCT/AU00/00750 PCT/AU00/00751 PCT/AU00/00752
PCT/AU01/01332 PCT/AU01/01318 PCT/AU00/01513 PCT/AU00/01514
PCT/AU00/01515 PCT/AU00/01516 PCT/AU00/01517 PCT/AU00/01512
PCT/AU01/00502 PCT/AU02/01120 PCT/AU00/00333 PCT/AU01/00141
PCT/AU01/00139 PCT/AU01/00140 PCT/AU00/00753 PCT/AU01/01321
PCT/AU01/01322 PCT/AU01/01323 PCT/AU00/00594 PCT/AU00/00595
PCT/AU00/00596 PCT/AU00/00597 PCT/AU00/00598 PCT/AU00/00741
PCT/AU00/00742
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a
digital palm PC comprising: [0009] a housing; [0010] a digital
storage device to store digitally text and/or image data; and
[0011] a printer located within the housing and receiving digital
information from the digital storage device, the printer being
configured to print an image on media external thereto as the palm
PC traverses the media in a printing orientation.
[0012] Preferably, the palm PC further includes a movement sensor
configured to measure the relative movement of the palm PC as it
traverses the media in the printing orientation. More preferably,
the movement sensor includes a wheel configured to engage the media
as the palm PC traverses the media in the printing orientation,
[0013] In one embodiment, the wheel is an optical encoder wheel
including a series of circumferential markings, the movement sensor
further including an optical sensor for detecting relative movement
of the markings as the wheel rotates in engagement with the
media.
[0014] Alternatively, the movement sensor forms part of an optical
tracking system for tracking relative movement of the palm PC as it
traverses the media in the printing orientation. In one form, the
optical tracking system includes pattern recognition means for
recognizing relative movement of the palm PC with respect to the
media. The optical tracking system can be configured to recognize a
predetermined pattern on the media, and to recognize the relative
movement of the palm PC with respect to the media by determining
relative movement of the palm PC with respect to the predetermined
pattern.
[0015] Preferably, the housing also includes a print controller
including a processor into which image data can be input and
converted into a sequence of drop ejection control signals. The
print controller operates said ink ejection nozzles in accordance
with said drop ejection control signals to cause printing on said
print media at a rate determined by the measured relative movement
of palm PC with respect to the media.
[0016] Preferably, the printer includes a drop-on-demand color
inkjet printhead.
[0017] In a preferred form, the palm PC further includes an ink
reservoir in fluid communication with the printhead for providing
ink thereto. Preferably, the ink reservoir includes at least one
ink inlet via which the ink reservoir can be recharged with
ink.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a palm PC
having a built-in printer in use, printing an image on a page;
[0020] FIG. 2 is perspective illustration of a palm PC shown from
above;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of a palm PC
shown from below;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic parts-exploded perspective view of the
palm PC;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the major
internal components of the palm PC;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the palm PC;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the palm PC;
[0026] FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the palm PC; and
[0027] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of
the palm PC taken at IX-IX in FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] In FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings there is
schematically depicted a palm PC 10 having an integral printer. The
palm PC is sized and shaped to fit within a typical purse or pocket
user and is shown in the figure traversing a page of print media 11
to print an image 12 thereon.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the palm PC includes a housing having a
top molding 13 and a base molding 14. These moldings house the
internal components of the device. The palm PC includes a color
liquid crystal display (LCD) and touch screen 20. A stylus 21 fits
within a receptacle in the palm PC and is used to touch the LCD and
touch screen 20 to operate the device. Function buttons 19 also
serve to control the functioning of the palm PC.
[0030] At the bottom edge of the palm PC 10 there is provided a
printhead 15 flanked at either end by wheels 16 and 22. Wheel 16 is
an optical encoder wheel, whereas wheel 22 is an idler wheel. These
wheels may be connected so as to rotate in unison upon a common
shaft. The operation of optical encoder wheel 16, idler wheel 22
and printhead 15 is described in detail our co-pending application
(AP46) entitled "Portable Printer and Copier", the content of which
is specifically incorporated herein by cross-reference.
[0031] The printhead 15 can be capped and uncapped selectively by a
capping device (not shown), which is described in our co-pending
application (AP44) entitled "Capping Device for a Portable
Printer", the content of which is specifically incorporated herein
by cross-reference. As an alternative to a capping device, an ink
seal 36 may be provided. This might be in the form of a removable
strip of elastomeric material.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the palm PC 10 includes ink inlets 17
via which an internal ink reservoir having separate compartments
can be refilled with ink. A battery charger and communications port
module 18 are located, in this embodiment, on the same side of the
palm PC as the ink inlets 17.
[0033] As shown in the exploded perspective illustration of FIG. 4,
the LCD and touch screen 20 sits upon a printed circuit board 26. A
number of function switches 37 are mounted on the PCB 26 and
aligned with function buttons 19 so a to be depressed when the
buttons 19 are used. A battery 23 which is preferably a lithium-ion
rechargeable battery resides alongside the PCB and is connected
electrically to the charger port module 18 and the PCB 26. A
speaker 24 is also provided. The ink inlets communicate with
respective compartments within reservoir 29. These compartments are
best illustrated in FIG. 9. The individual ink compartments relay
ink to the printhead unit 15.
[0034] As depicted in FIG. 5, the PCB 26 has attached thereto a
dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip 31, a print engine
controller (PEC) chip 30, a QA chip 27 and a flash memory chip 28.
The battery 23 connects to the PCB at connector block 38 and a
ribbon cable for flexible PCB 39 connects the power and
communications port module 18 to the PCB 26 via a connector block
40.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 9, the ink reservoir 29 is divided into a
number of longitudinal compartments. In the depicted embodiment,
there are separate compartments for cyan ink 32, magenta ink 33,
black ink 34 and yellow ink 35. Ink from these compartments is
transferred to printhead 15.
[0036] Power and data transfer from the PCB 26 to the printhead 15
can be by direct connection between those two units. That is, the
printhead 15 may have electrical contacts soldered directly onto
the PCB 26. However, in alternate configurations, an intermediate
flexible PCB extending between the printhead 15 and PCB 26 can be
used.
[0037] In use, the palm PC 10 can be operated by use of the stylus
21 upon the color LCD and touch screen 20. Function buttons 19 can
also be manipulated as required. When a printed image of text
and/or graphics is desired, a print command can be initiated either
by use of a stylus 21 or function buttons 19. A user then draws the
printhead 15 over a sheet of print media (in this case paper) as
shown in FIG. 1. The ejection of ink by printhead 15 upon print
media 11 is controlled by the PEC chip 30 in response to signals
received from the optical encoder wheel 16 which contacts the
surface of the print media 11 and rotates in use. Details of this
interaction can be found in our co-pending application AP46 as
cross-referenced above.
[0038] The internal configuration of components within the housing
of the palm PC can vary depending upon requirements. For example,
the printhead and ink cartridge can be an integral unit or formed
separately. The printhead can extend generally normal to the extent
of the ink cartridge or parallel thereto. In a further embodiment,
instead of providing only two wheels 16 and 22 (one optical encoder
wheel and one idler wheel) on a narrow edge of the palm PC, three,
four, or more wheels might be provided say in the broad back face
of base molding 14. In the case of four wheels being provided, they
can be disposed in a rectangular layout in plan. One of the wheels
would be an optical encoder wheel and the other wheels idler
wheels. The printhead can be located generally within a space
defined by a rectangle with a wheel at each corner.
[0039] Although the invention has been described with reference to
a number of specific embodiments, it will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that the invention can be embodied in many other
forms.
* * * * *