AU2003212085A1 - Camera with swipe printer - Google Patents

Description

WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 CAMERA WITH SWIPE PRINTER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The following invention relates to digital camera technology. More particularly, though not 5 exclusively, the invention relates to a digital camera having a built-in printer. Such a printer might be a drop on-demand printer utilizing a fixed printhead system. BACKGROUND Known digital cameras have some form of removable memory storage device such as a floppy disk or memory card. In order to print an image from the camera, the data in such storage devices must be 10 uploaded to a computer to which there might be attached a peripheral printer. Known digital cameras have no means of providing an "instant" print-out of an image photographed thereby. The mere incorporation into a camera body of a known printer device would not result in a compact, easily portable camera. This is because prior art printers incorporate a supply of print media and employ a 15 print media feed mechanism to transport the print media past the printheads to effect printing onto the print media. As such, known printers, having a supply of print media, are larger and heavier than would be desirable in a portable camera. CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the 20 following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application: AP39 AP43 AP44 AP46 AP47 AP48 AP49 AP50 AP51 AP52 AP53 AP55 AP58 AP60 AP61 AP62 AP63 AP64 25 AP65 AP66 AP67 AP68 AP69 AP70 AP71 AP77 AP78 AP79 The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. Each application is temporarily identified by its file reference. This will be replaced by the corresponding PCT Application Number when available. 30 RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS US6,227,652 US6,213,588 US6,213,589 US6,231,163 US6,247,795 US6,394,581 US6,244,691 US6,257,704 35 US6,416,168 US6,220,694 US6,257,705 US6,247,794 US6,234,610 US6,247,793 US6,264,306 US6,241,342 US6,247,792 US6,264,307 US6,254,220 US6,234,611 US6,302,528 US6,283,582 US6,239,821 US6,338,547 WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 2 US6,247,796 US09/113,122 US6,390,603 US6,362,843 US6,293,653 US6,312,107 US6,227,653 US6,234,609 US6,238,040 US6,188,415 US6,227,654 US6,209,989 US6,247,791 US6,336,710 US6,217,153 US6,416,167 5 US6,243,113 US6,283,581 US6,247,790 US6,260,953 US6,267,469 US6,273,544 US6,309,048 US6,420,196 US6,443,558 US09/422,892 US6,378,989 USO9/425,420 US09/422,893 US09/609,140 US6,409,323 US6,281,912 US09/575,113 US6,318,920 US6,488,422 USO9/693,644 10 US6,457,810 US6,485,135 USO9/112,763, US6,331,946 US6,246,970 US6,442,525 USO9/505,951 USO9/505,147 USO9/505,952 USO9/575,108 USO9/575,109 US09/575,110 USO9/607,985 US6,398,332 US6,394,573 US09/606,999 US6,238,044 US6,425,661 US6,390,605 US6,322,195 15 USO9/504,221 US6,480,089 US6,460,778 US6,305,788 US6,426,014 US6,364,453 US6,457,795 USO9/556,219 US09/556,218 US6,315,399 US6,338,548 USO9/575,190 US6,328,431 US6,328,425 USO9/575,127 US6,383,833 US6,464,332 US6,390,591 US09/575,152 US6,328,417 20 US6,322,194 USO9/575,177 USO9/575,175 US6,417,757 USO9/608,780 US6,428,139 USO9/607,498 USO9/693,079 USO9/693,135 US6,428,142 USO9/692,813 USO9/693,319 USO9/693,311 US6,439,908 USO9/693,735 PCT/AU98/00550 PCT/AU00/00516 PCT/AU00/00517 PCT/AU00/00511 PCT/AU00/00754 25 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 30 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/AU0 1/01318 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 35 PCT/AU0 1/00140 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 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a digital camera comprising: WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 3 a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture an image; a digital storage device adapted to store digitally the image captured by the image sensor; a printer located within the housing and adapted to receive digital information corresponding to the 5 captured image from the digital storage device, the printer being adapted to print the captured image on media external to the camera as the camera traverses the media. Preferably, the camera further comprises a lens and wherein the image is captured by the image sensor via the lens. Preferably, the printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead. 10 Preferably, the housing has located therein a replaceable ink cartridge communicating with the printhead. Preferably, the housing includes a receptacle having resilient collars and into which the ink cartridge is received, the cartridge including ink outlets adapted to engage with the collars. Preferably, the digital storage device comprises a removable memory card. 15 Preferably, the memory card is stored within a chassis having an integrally formed battery housing adapted to receive and retain a battery for powering the camera. Preferably, the camera further comprises a speed sensor adapted to sense the speed at which the camera traverses the media. Preferably, the printer is adapted to be synchronised with the speed sensor such that the printer ejects 20 ink onto the media at rate which is proportional to the speed at which the camera traverses the media in order to produce a faithful reproduction of the captured image. Preferably, the speed sensor comprises: an optical encoder wheel having a plurality of markings disposed circumnferentially thereon; and an optical sensor adapted to sense the markings as the optical encoder wheel is rotated in contact 25 with the media. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a camera having a built-in printer, in use traversing a print 30 media to print an image thereon; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the front of the camera; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear of the camera; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective illustration of the base of the camera; Figure 5 is a plan view of the camera; 35 Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the camera; Figure 7 is a right side elevational view of the camera; Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the camera; Figure 9 is an inverted plan view of the camera; Figure 10 is a left side elevational view of the camera; WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 4 Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the camera taken at XI-XI in Figure 5; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the rear of the camera showing an ink cartridge removed therefrom; and Figure 13 is a further perspective view of the rear of the camera showing a memory card removed 5 from a memory card chassis in the camera. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a camera 10 being moved across blank print media 20 to print an image 22 thereon. The image is printed by a printer within the camera housing. The 10 camera 10 is moved by a user in the direction indicated by arrow 21 after pressing a print enable button 14. The printer may comprise internal components similar to those disclosed in co-pending application filed concurrently herewith and entitled "Manually moveable printer with speed sensor" (Attorney Docket No. AP43) referred to above. As shown in Figure 2, the camera 10 includes a view fmnder 11, a flash unit 12 and a zoom lens 13. 15 Operation of the zoom lens 13 is by means of zoom button 15. Alongside the lens 13, there is a pair of auto focus infra-red lenses 42 which serve to automatically focus the lens 13 in a conventional manner. Digital images are captured by the camera by activation of take button 24. Available memory and other data is displayed on a liquid crystal display 26 and the camera 10 is provided with programming buttons 25 for various functional settings as is known in the art. 20 The camera incorporates a memory card behind memory card door 16, and a battery such as a CR2 battery behind battery cover 19. The memory card can be ejected from behind the memory card door 16 upon depressing card eject button 23. As shown in Figure 3, the camera body also houses a removable ink cartridge 27. Figure 3 also shows the external features of the camera's printer. At the transition between the back and the base of the 25 camera, there is an inclined surface 51. During a printing operation, this surface 51 is designed to be presented substantially parallel to the sheet of blank media 20. At one end, an optical encoder wheel 29 protrudes from the surface. At the other end, an idler wheel 28, protrudes from the surface. The optical encoder wheel has a plurality of circumferentially spaced makings thereon and an associated optical sensor adapted to sense those markings. As the camera is moved across the print media, the optical encoder wheel rolls across the print 30 media and the optical sensor detects the speed at which the camera is being moved so that ink can be ejected from the printhead 30 at an appropriate rate to produce a faithful reproduction of the image captured by the camera. The idler wheel 28 has the same axis of rotation as the optical encoder wheel to help the camera to move in a straight line. Further details of the operation of the optical encoder wheel 29 and idler wheel 28 can be found in co-pending application entitled "Manually moveable printer with speed sensor" (Attorney Docket 35 No AP43) referred to above. Between the optical encoder wheel 29 and the idler wheel 28, there is disposed a printhead 30. This is preferably a photographic-width monolithic unit such as the "Memjet" printhead described in the cross referenced patent applications.

WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 5 An exploded perspective view of the camera assembly is shown in Figure 4. The assembly incorporates a front plastics molding 17 and a rear plastics molding 18 between which the internal components of the camera and print engine are housed. As can be seen, the flash unit 12 is positioned adjacent a view finder molding 31 associated with view finder 11 (see Figure 6). A digital zoom unit 32 is associated 5 with the lens 13 and receives signals and power from the main printed circuit board 40 upon which it is mounted. Behind the lense 13 and attached to the printed circuit board 40 is an image sensor 55 such as a charge coupled device (CCD) adapted to digitally capture an image, as is known in the art. Once captured, the digital information corresponding to the captured image is stored in the memory card 38. The zoom activation buttons 15 are connected electrically to the main printed circuit board 40 as is a 10 capacitor 41 which serves to energize the flash unit 12 when a picture is taken upon depression of the take button 24. The print button 14 is connected with the main printed circuit board. Data from the main printed circuit board is relayed to the printhead 30 via flexible printed circuit board 33. Ink is delivered to the chip 34 of the printhead 30 via an ink connector 52 which receives ink from the ink cartridge 27. 15 A memory card chassis 39 serves to house the memory card 38. This card can be ejected from the chassis 39 by depression of an eject button 23. Molded integrally with the memory card chassis is a battery housing 53 which receives battery 37. The battery is covered by battery cover 19. The rear molding 18 has a receptacle 54 within which the ink cartridge 27 is received and retained. The ink cartridge 27 includes ink outlets 35 via which ink therefrom is communicated with the ink connector 52. Ink cartridge 27 also includes 20 a question/answer (QA) chip 36 communicating with the camera. In one form, the QA chip serves the dual purposes of authenticating the ink cartridge as being suitable for use with the camera as well as indicating the type or quantity of ink remaining in the cartridge. Figure 11 shows a typical internal arrangement of components within the camera body. As can be seen, data and power to the printhead unit 30 are conveyed by the flexible printed circuit board 33 from the 25 main printed circuit board 40. The ink cartridge 27 incorporates four internal longitudinal channels within which separate inks are stored. In this embodiment, there is black ink 45, yellow ink 46, cyan ink 43 and magenta ink 44. These are conveyed to the printhead unit 30 via the ink connector 52 (see Figure 4). As can be seen in Figure 12, the ink cartridge 27 has a spring catch 50 formed at one of its ends. This 30 spring catch biases the cartridge 27 within the receptacle 54 so as to present the ink outlets 35 in sealing engagement with the resilient collars 47 located at the other end of the receptacle. These collars 47 surround individual perforated metal pins 49 which communicate with the ink outlets 35. A chip contact block 48 communicates with the QA chip 36 located at the end of the ink cartridge 27. Figure 13 depicts the camera 10 with the memory card door 16 open and the memory card 38 35 removed from the memory card chassis 39. In use, the digital camera 10 is used in a conventional manner to take photographs. These photographs can be stored on the memory card for use later or may be printed instantly using the built-in printing device. When printing of a particular image stored in the memory card is desired, the programming buttons 25 can be manipulated to make a selection prior to printing. A print enable button 14 can then be WO 03/069892 PCT/AU03/00153 6 depressed whereupon the user can swipe the camera across the blank print media 20 (as shown in Figure 1) to effect image printing thereon. It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, many different internal configurations 5 of the various components can be chosen without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the camera body can be provided with four wheels (one at each corner of a rectangle extending substantially over one face of the camera body) instead of two. One of the four wheels can be an optical encoder wheel. This way, the camera might be presented in a configuration normal to the blank page during the page-traversing printing procedure. The ink cartridge might be located alongside or above the printhead or 10 in any other internal configuration depending upon the particular application.

Claims (10)

1. A digital camera comprising: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture an image; 5 a digital storage device adapted to store digitally the image captured by the image sensor; a printer located within the housing and adapted to receive digital information corresponding to the captured image from the digital storage device, the printer being adapted to print the captured image on media external to the camera as the camera traverses the media.

2. The camera of claim I wherein the camera further comprises a lens and wherein the image is 10 captured by the image sensor via the lens.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein the printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.

4. The camera of claim 3 wherein the housing has located therein a replaceable ink cartridge communicating with the printhead.

5. The printer of claim 4 wherein the housing includes a receptacle having resilient collars and into 15 which the ink cartridge is received, the cartridge including ink outlets adapted to engage with the collars.

6. The camera of claim 1 wherein the digital storage device comprises a removable memory card.

7. The camera of claim 6 wherein the memory card is stored within a chassis having an integrally formed battery housing adapted to receive and retain a battery for powering the camera.

8. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a speed sensor adapted to sense the speed at which the 20 camera traverses the media.

9. The camera of claim 8 wherein the printer is adapted to be synchronised with the speed sensor such that the printer ejects ink onto the media at rate which is proportional to the speed at which the camera traverses the media in order to produce a faithful reproduction of the captured image.

10. The camera of claim 8 wherein the speed sensor comprises: 25 an optical encoder wheel having a plurality of markings disposed circumferentially thereon; and an optical sensor adapted to sense the markings as the optical encoder wheel is rotated in contact with the media. 30