Abstract:
A printer is provided for a mobile telephone. The printer includes a housing having a pair of elongate moldings capable of being connected together to define an ink ejection slot. The housing also includes an endcap configured to engage with an end of the moldings. An ink supply cartridge is housed within the housing and defines a plurality of ink storage reservoirs for storing respective types of ink. A printhead module is also housed within the housing and defines a plurality of ink distribution channels in fluid communication with respective ink storage reservoirs. The printhead module includes an elongate array of ink ejection nozzles in fluid communication with the ink distribution channels and aligned with the ink ejection slot so that ink can be ejected through the ink ejection slot.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/503,924 filed on Aug. 9, 2004, which is a 371 of PCT/AU03/00169 filed on Feb. 12, 2003 all of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to mobile telecommunications devices, in particular mobile telephones, and peripheral devices giving current mobile telephones greater functionality. Specifically, the present invention relates to mobile telephones having an internal colour printer.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     In recent years, the commercially successful models of mobile telephones have been the ones which have been the most compact. The desire for small size has prevented other devices, most notably printers, from being incorporated into the housings of mobile telephones.  
         [0004]     Prior art printers incorporate a supply of print media into the printer and employ a print media feed mechanism to transport the print media past the printhead(s) to effect printing onto the print media. It is essential during a printing operation to synchronise the speed of the print media with the printing rate of the printhead(s) to ensure a faithful reproduction of the image being printed. Heretofore, the synchronisation of the print media with the printhead(s) has been relatively simple to accomplish because the print media feed mechanism, including the supply of print media, forms an integral part of the printer. The speed of the print media is therefore known and fixed, as is the speed at which the printhead(s) and print controller operate, with synchronisation between these features being accomplished using simple mechanical features such as gears, stepper motors and the like.  
         [0005]     Such features however, in particular the need to have a supply of print media accommodated within the printer, have made these printers larger and heavier than they otherwise need be. Even in more compact printers employing a monolithic page-width drop-on-demand printhead arrangement of the type described in the above mentioned co-pending applications, where the printhead is fixed, there is still a need to have a supply of print media and a print media drive mechanism integral to the printer to ensure proper synchronisation between ink ejection and the motion of the print media. Up until now these requirements have limited the minimum possible printer size and have precluded the possibility of a printer being incorporated into a device such as a compact mobile telephone.  
       CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS  
       [0006]     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:  
                                                   PCT/AU03/00145   PCT/AU03/00146   PCT/AU03/00147   PCT/AU03/00148   PCT/AU03/00149       PCT/AU03/00150   PCT/AU03/00151   PCT/AU03/00152   PCT/AU03/00153   PCT/AU03/00154       PCT/AU03/00155   PCT/AU03/00156   PCT/AU03/00157   PCT/AU03/00158   PCT/AU03/00159       PCT/AU03/00160   PCT/AU03/00162   PCT/AU03/00163   PCT/AU03/00164   PCT/AU03/00165       PCT/AU03/00166   PCT/AU03/00167   PCT/AU03/00168   PCT/AU03/00169   PCT/AU03/00170       PCT/AU03/00171                  
 
 The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. 
 
       RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS  
       [0007]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 6566858 
                 6331946 
                 6246970 
                 6442525 
                 PCT/AU01/00141 
               
               
                 09/505951 
                 PCT/AU01/00139 
                 6816968 
                 6757832 
                 PCT/AU01/00140 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00741 
                 6238044 
                 PCT/AU00/00742 
                 6425661 
                 6227652 
               
               
                 6213588 
                 6213589 
                 6231163 
                 6247795 
                 6394581 
               
               
                 6244691 
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                 6220694 
                 6257705 
               
               
                 6247794 
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                 6264306 
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                 6247792 
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                 6283582 
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                 6390603 
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                 6283581 
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                 6309048 
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                 6848181 
                 6634735 
                 PCT/AU98/00550 
                 PCT/AU00/00095 
                 6390605 
               
               
                 6322195 
                 6612110 
                 6480089 
                 6460778 
                 6305788 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00172 
                 6426014 
                 PCT/AU00/00338 
                 6364453 
                 PCT/AU00/00339 
               
               
                 6457795 
                 PCT/AU00/00581 
                 6315399 
                 PCT/AU00/00580 
                 6338548 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00582 
                 6540319 
                 PCT/AU00/00587 
                 6328431 
                 PCT/AU00/00588 
               
               
                 6328425 
                 PCT/AU00/00589 
                 6991320 
                 PCT/AU00/00341 
                 6595624 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00340 
                 PCT/AU00/00749 
                 6417757 
                 PCT/AU01/01332 
                 7095309 
               
               
                 PCT/AU01/01318 
                 6854825 
                 PCT/AU00/00750 
                 7075677 
                 PCT/AU00/00751 
               
               
                 6428139 
                 PCT/AU00/00752 
                 6575549 
                 PCT/AU01/00502 
                 PCT/AU00/00583 
               
               
                 6383833 
                 PCT/AU02/01120 
                 PCT/AU00/00593 
                 6464332 
                 PCT/AU00/00333 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/01513 
                 6428142 
                 PCT/AU00/00590 
                 6390591 
                 PCT/AU00/00591 
               
               
                 7018016 
                 PCT/AU00/00592 
                 6328417 
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                 6322194 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00585 
                 6382779 
                 PCT/AU00/00586 
                 6629745 
                 PCT/AU00/01514 
               
               
                 6565193 
                 PCT/AU00/01515 
                 6609786 
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                 6609787 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/01517 
                 6439908 
                 PCT/AU00/01512 
                 6684503 
                 PCT/AU00/00753 
               
               
                 6755513 
                 PCT/AU00/00594 
                 6409323 
                 PCT/AU00/00595 
                 6281912 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00596 
                 6604810 
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                 6318920 
                 PCT/AU00/00598 
               
               
                 6488422 
                 PCT/AU01/01321 
                 6655786 
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                 6457810 
               
               
                 PCT/AU01/01323 
                 6485135 
                 PCT/AU00/00516 
                 6795215 
                 PCT/AU00/00517 
               
               
                 7154638 
                 PCT/AU00/00511 
                 6859289 
                 PCT/AU00/00754 
                 6977751 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00755 
                 6398332 
                 PCT/AU00/00756 
                 6394573 
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       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile telecommunications device comprising a casing, a display, circuitry for wireless telecommunications housed within the casing and a printer housed within the casing, the printer comprising:  
         [0009]     a printhead arrangement adapted to effect printing onto print media as the printer is moved relative to the print media, the printhead arrangement including a plurality of ink ejection nozzles;  
         [0010]     an ink supply adapted to store ink and to supply the ink to the printhead arrangement;  
         [0011]     a speed sensor adapted to measure the speed at which the printhead arrangement is moved relative to the print media and to generate speed data; and a print controller adapted to:  
         [0012]     (a) receive image data from an image source;  
         [0013]     (b) convert the image data into a plurality of drop ejection control signals;  
         [0014]     (c) receive the speed data from the speed sensor; and  
         [0015]     (d) operate the ink ejection nozzles in the printhead arrangement in accordance with the drop ejection control signals at a rate determined using the speed data, to thereby effect printing of the image data onto the print media.  
         [0016]     Preferably, the speed sensor comprises:  
         [0017]     an optical encoder wheel adapted to be in contact with the print media and to rotate as the device is moved relative to the print media, the optical encoder wheel having a series of circumferentially spaced markings thereon; and an optical sensor adapted to:  
         [0018]     (a) detect the markings as the markings pass the optical sensor during rotation of the optical encoder wheel; and  
         [0019]     (b) generate the speed data from the detected markings.  
         [0020]     Preferably, the ink supply is removable from the printer.  
         [0021]     Preferably, the device further comprises a capping arrangement moveable between a capped position in which the capping arrangement substantially obstructs the ejection of ink from the ink ejection nozzles and an uncapped position in which the capping arrangement does not substantially obstruct the ejection of ink from the ink ejection nozzles.  
         [0022]     Preferably, the device further comprises a capping actuator disposed on the device so as to be operable by a user as the user moves the printhead arrangement relative to the print media.  
         [0023]     Preferably, the device further comprises a biasing member adapted to bias the capping arrangement towards the capped position.  
         [0024]     Preferably, the print controller receives the image data from the image source via the circuitry for wireless telecommunications. More preferably, the image data is received at the circuitry for wireless telecommunications from a wireless telecommunications network.  
         [0025]     Preferably, the device further comprises a memory adapted to store the image data.  
         [0026]     Preferably, the image to be printed is displayed on the device display.  
         [0027]     Preferably, the printer further comprises a replaceable ink cartridge.  
         [0028]     Preferably, the device further comprises one or more ink inlets through which the ink supply may be replenished.  
         [0029]     Preferably, the device further comprises a digital camera including a lens and CCD array, and wherein image data captured by the CCD array is displayed on the display of the telecommunications device.  
         [0030]     Preferably, the printer is adapted to print images captured by the digital camera. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0031]     The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to preferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings in which:— 
         [0032]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a mobile telecommunications device with an in-built printer in use, printing an image onto a page of print media;  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a printer used in the mobile telecommunications device;  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the printer;  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is an underside perspective of the printer;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a mobile telephone having an internal printer;  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a rear perspective of the mobile telephone;  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the mobile telephone;  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of a mobile telephone with an in-built digital camera;  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a rear elevational view of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 5 ; and  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  is a transverse cross-section of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0044]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a mobile telecommunications device according to the present invention is shown generally at  100 . The telecommunications device  100  is a mobile telephone having an internal printer and is depicted in  FIG. 1  as moving, under the guidance of a user (not shown), across a page  20  of print media in the direction of the arrow  21  to print an image  22  on the page  20 .  
         [0045]     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mobile telephone  100  includes standard features such as a keypad  101 , navigation keys  102 , display screen  103 , volume buttons  104 , speaker  105  and microphone  106 . The telephone also includes charging contacts  107 , power socket  108  and hands free jack  109 . A printer unit  10  is received through an opening in the side of the telephone casing.  
         [0046]     An exploded view of the telephone  100  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . Assembled views are shown in FIGS.  8  to  11 . With reference to these figures, the telephone includes an upper moulding  301 , base moulding  302  and cover moulding  303 . The upper moulding  301  has a first series of apertures  306  that receive keypad and navigation keys from an elastomeric keypad  308 . A second aperture  309  receives a lens moulding  310 .  
         [0047]     A rigid printed circuit board (PCB)  312  is held firmly between the upper moulding  301  and base moulding  302 . As is known, the PCB  312  contains the majority of the telephone circuitry, in particular a speaker  313 , colour LCD display  314  and an aerial  315 . A SIM card  316  containing ID codes and command circuitry as is known in the art is received in an internal aperture  319  in the base moulding  302  and electrically communicates with the PCB  312  in a known manner.  
         [0048]     The base moulding  302  has a recess  321  in its upper surface that receives the PCB  312  and aerial  315 . A cut-away section is provided in the lower portion of the base moulding  302  to receive a standard mobile telephone battery  322  and the printer unit  10 , further details of which are described below.  
         [0049]     The base moulding  302  further includes charging contact apertures  323 , power socket aperture  324  and hands free jack aperture  325 .  
         [0050]     The cover moulding  303  removably fits with the base moulding  302  to provide an access to the battery  322  and SIM card  316 .  
         [0051]     Details of the printer unit  10  will now be described with reference to FIGS.  2  to  4 . Although FIGS.  2  to  4  depict a stand-alone swipe printer, having a slightly different shape from the printer depicted in  FIG. 7 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that many of the features of the two printers are common and need not be described with specific reference to this mobile telecommunications device version of the printer.  
         [0052]     An exploded view of the printer  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The printer  10  includes a lower moulding  11 , upper moulding  12  and removable end cap  13  each of which may be formed of any suitable plastics, metal or similar material.  
         [0053]     The upper and lower mouldings each include media slides  14  formed at each end of the mouldings on the bottom surface thereof. The slides  14  protrude from the bottom surface of the mouldings and serve to elevate the printer as the printer traverses the print media resulting in minimal friction between the printhead and print media and preventing contact between the printer and freshly printed ink which could otherwise disturb the printed image.  
         [0054]     When joined, the upper and lower mouldings reveal an ink ejection slot through which ink is ejected during printing. A capping device  50 , preferably of metal is received in a recess  17  formed in the upper moulding  12 . The capping device  50 , moves from a position in which a capping arm  52  of the capper  50  blocks the ink ejection slot  15  to a position where ink ejection is unrestricted.  
         [0055]     Internally, the printer  10  includes a printhead module  30  in which is disposed a plurality of ink distribution channels leading to an array of ink ejection nozzles  31  aligned with the ink ejection slot  15  formed between the upper and lower mouldings  12 ,  11 . An ink supply cartridge  32  stores coloured inks, preferably in four colours namely cyan, magenta, yellow and black, to provide for full colour printing. Alternatively, or in addition, infra-red ink may be provided. The ink cartridge  32  supplies ink to the ink distribution channels of the printhead module  30  through an ink connector  33 .  
         [0056]     Any one of a number of known printhead modules and ink supply systems may be suitable for use with the present invention and thus further description of such features is omitted here. Details of printhead modules and ink supply systems suitable for use with the invention can be found in the above-mentioned co-pending applications of the present applicant.  
         [0057]     A print controller  36  includes a microprocessor that converts image data stored in microprocessor memory into a sequence of electrical “drop ejection” signals. The signals are communicated to the printhead module  30  in a known manner during a print operation to cause selective ejection of ink from the ink ejection nozzles  31 .  
         [0058]     The print control microprocessor  36  communicates with the circuitry of the PCB  312  to receive print instructions and digital image data.  
         [0059]     When the printer unit  10  is properly engaged in the mobile telephone  100 , power contacts of the printer unit (not shown) connect with the power supply circuits of the mobile telephone.  
         [0060]     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the end cap  13  is removable from the printer  10  to reveal an aperture  47  through which the ink cartridge may be replaced.  
         [0061]     To perform printing, a user commands the printer using the navigation keys  102  and actuates the capper  50 , in a manner described below, to expose the printhead chip  30  ( FIG. 4 ) to the print media. The print media may be any suitable textile for receiving the type of ink stored in the printer and may include inter alia paper, cardboard, wood, fabric and plastics. The telephone  100  may include a control button depressed by the user to initiate printing (that is, to commence the ejection of ink from the printhead under the control of the print control microprocessor.) Alternatively, actuation of the capper  16  may be detected as a signal that the user is ready for the printing to commence. The user then traverses the print media  20  with the telephone  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0062]     To control the printing rate, the printer  10  includes an optical encoder wheel  39  ( FIG. 2 ) attached to the printhead module  30  atone end thereof. The optical encoder wheel  39  is received in slots  41   a ,  41   b  formed in the upper and lower mouldings respectively and extends from the mouldings to the point where the rim of the wheel  39  is level with the media slides  14  (see  FIG. 4 ). Circumferentially spaced markings on the optical encoder wheel  39  are read by an optical sensor on the microprocessor  36  as the wheel  39  rotates in contact with the print media.  
         [0063]     The optical sensor includes a light source, such as an LED, and a photo-detector that produces an electrical response dependent upon the amount of light incident upon the detector. The light reflection characteristics of the encoder wheel  39  vary between the marked and un-marked areas and thus as the markings rotate past the detector, a change in the detector response occurs. The frequency at which the detector response changes provides a measurement of the speed at which the encoder wheel is rotating and therefore the speed at which the telephone is moving relative to the print media.  
         [0064]     The detector response is communicated to the print control microprocessor  36  which uses the signal to calculate the speed at which the printhead module is being moved across the print media. The print controller then synchronises the rate at which the drop ejection control signals are passed to the ink ejection nozzles with the measured speed of the printer. The printer  10  is therefore able to ensure appropriate print dot spacing of successive lines of print and thus create a faithful reproduction of the printed image even though the printer does not control the speed at which the print media moves relative to the printhead.  
         [0065]     Furthermore, if the number of markings on the encoder wheel  39  is high enough, the microprocessor  36  is able to quickly adapt to the variations in the speed at which a user may move the printer across the print media thereby achieving a higher quality image.  
         [0066]     An idler wheel  44  is attached to the opposite end of the printhead module  30  to allow stability and directional control of the printer. A shaft may connect the idler wheel  44  with the encoder wheel  39  to synchronise the rotation speeds of each wheel.  
         [0067]     The optical encoder wheel  39  and/or idler wheel  44  may have a speed limiter such as a friction clutch that prevents a user from moving the printer along the print media at a rate faster than the maximum rate of operation of the printhead module  30 . Furthermore, either or both wheels may have a system such as a ratchet for preventing the printer from being moved in a direction opposite to the direction of printing.  
         [0068]     In the embodiment shown, digital image data may be provided to the microprocessor  36  from an external image source via a wireless telecommunications network and received via the antenna  315  and PCB  312 .  
         [0069]     Alternatively, the digital image data may be received from an external device such as a computer using an infra-red (IR) signal transmitted through an IR window formed in the casing of the mobile telephone. In such an embodiment an IR receiver electrically connected to the microprocessor  36  receives the data which is then stored in the processor memory. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the microprocessor may communicate through any other suitable connection for example, hard wire connections to other electronic devices (such as computers, scanners, copiers, digital cameras), wireless telecommunications (such as WAP) or through a plug and socket connection or data port. Other information, for example print control instructions, may also be provided to the printer from external devices using the above systems. In a further embodiment, the microprocessor may have its own graphics generating capabilities.  
         [0070]     For example, as depicted in  FIG. 8 , the mobile telephone  100  may have an in-built camera module. In this embodiment, a lens  401  is formed in the base moulding  302 . Light passing through the lens  401  is incident on a CCD array. The CCD array communicates a digital image to the print control microprocessor for printing. Camera operation keys are incorporated into the keypad  102  of the telephone.  
         [0071]     In the embodiment described herein, the printer unit  10  includes a replaceable ink cartridge. As an alternative, the mobile telephone  100  may be provided with an integral ink reservoir that is re-charged with ink from an ink charging stand using an ink charging system, further details of which are provided in the present applicant&#39;s co-pending applications (Attorney Docket numbers AP52 and AP53) cross-referenced above. An ink charging system of the type referred to above utilises ink inlets  327  of the print unit  10  as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 7 . By using an ink charging system of the type referred to, the printer unit  10  need not be as readily removable as would otherwise be necessary because removal of the printer unit  10  will only be required for maintenance of the printhead.  
         [0072]      FIG. 12  is a transverse cross section of the mobile telephone  100  of  FIG. 5 . In this figure, there is shown a capping mechanism  50  of the type described in the present applicant&#39;s co-pending application (Attorney Docket No AP44) cross-referenced above. The capping mechanism is mounted on the printer unit  10  in a manner that allows movement of a capping arm  52  from a position in which the capping arm  52  obstructs the ejection of ink from the printhead chip  30  to a position as illustrated where ejection of ink from the printhead chip  30  is uninhibited.  
         [0073]     Actuation of the capping mechanism  50  to its uncapped position can occur in any suitable manner, including but not limited to those examples described in the applicant&#39;s co-pending application (Attorney Docket No AP44) cross-referenced above. For example, actuation of the capper may occur using a friction clutch operating in conjunction with the encoder wheel  39 , a solenoid actuator, or a finger-operated actuator exposed through the casing of the mobile telephone  100 .  
         [0074]     The configuration of the printhead module and ink reservoir within the telephone casing may be varied to suit the particular model and styling of the telephone. The embodiments described previously utilise a side-edge printhead with an integral recharging ink reservoir.  
         [0075]     Alternative embodiments include configurations where the printhead is exposed through a bottom or top edge of the telephone casing and has either integral or replaceable ink cartridges as required.  
         [0076]     While the invention has been described with particular reference to mobile telephones, it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the invention is suitable for application in many other portable electronic devices, including but not limited to, Wireless Internet Access Devices (WIADs) in particular Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) terminals, pagers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and the like. While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.