CAMERA MODULE FOR COMPACT PRINTER SYSTEM

Abstract: A camera module for a compact printer system. The camera module includes a CMOS image sensor that captures an RGB image when a take button is actuated. The RGB image is transformed to a suitable format, such as L*a*b*, for transfer directly to a printer module. The camera module incorporates a connection means that connects directly to a corresponding connection means on the printer module. The connection means includes a physical connection and a logical connection. The logical connection is a serial bus that communicates power and data. The camera module may include a self-timer. It may also connect to and control a flash module.

Description: CAMERA MODULE FOR COMPACT PRINTER SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a compact pπnter system able to pπnt full-color, business card size documents from a device about the size of a pen The system includes vaπous hot-connectable modules that provide a range of functions In particular the invention relates to a camera module for the compact printer system Reference may be had to co-pending applications claiming pπoπty from Australian Provisional Patent Application number PQ0560 dated 25 May 1999 The co-pending applications descπbe related modules and methods for implementing the compact pπnter system The co-pending applications are as follows BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Microelectronic manufacturing techniques have led to the miniatunzation of numerous devices Mobile phones, personal digital assistant devices, and digital cameras are very common examples of the miniatunzation trend One device that has not seen the advantage of microelectronic manufactuπng techniques is the pπnter Commercially available pπnters are large compared to many of the devices they could support For instance, it is impractical to carry a color pπnter for the purpose of instantly pπnting photographs taken with known compact digital cameras A compact pπnthead has been descπbed m co-pending Patent Cooperation Treaty applications filed simultaneously to the present application and hereby incorporated by cross reference Although digital cameras are known, they require connection to a personal computer before a hardcopy image can be obtained Generally, it is necessary to upload images from the camera to the personal computer and then pπnt the images on a desktop pπnter using a propπetary software package that makes the necessary translation between the image format taken by the camera and the format required by the pπnter A camera that is able to link directly to a compact pπnter would be more desirable SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, the invention resides in a camera module for a compact pπnter system compnsmg a body, an image sensor within said body that captures an image of a scene, an image processor .within said body that processes said image into a form suitable for transfemng directly to a pπnter module, a connection means at an end of said body for connecting said camera module to said pπnter module, said connection means incorporating connection to a bus providing power and data between said camera module and said pπnter module Further features of the invention will be evident from the following descπption BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to assist with descπbing preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will be made to the following figures m which FIG 1 is a pπnter module, FIG 2 is a camera module, FIG 3 is a memory module, FIG 4 is a communication module, FIG 5 is a flash module, FIG 6 is a timer module, FIG 7 is a laser module, FIG 8 is an effects module, FIG 9 is a characters module, FIG 10 is an adaptor module, FIG 11 is a pen module, FIG 12 is a dispenser module, FIG 13 is a first compact pπnter configuration, FIG 14 is a second compact pnnter configuration, FIG 15 is a third compact pπnter configuration, FIG 16 is a fourth compact pπnter configuration, FIG 17 is a perspective view of the camera module of FIG 2, FIG 18 is a perspective view of the camera module in a folded position FIG 19 is an exploded view of the camera of the camera module, FIG 20 is an exploded view of the base of the camera module, FIG 21 is a partly exploded view of the camera module, FIG 22 is a cut away side view of the camera module of FIG 17, and FIG 23 is a block schematic diagram of an image processor chip DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Refemng to FIGs 1 to 12, there are shown vaπous modules that together form a compact pπnter system Individual modules can be attached and detached from the compact pπnter configuration to allow a user-definable solution SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) to business-card sized pnnting Images can also be transfeπed from one compact pπnter to another without the use of a secondary computer system Modules have a minimal user-interface to allow straightforward interaction A compact pπnter system configuration consists of a number of compact pπnter modules connected together Each compact pπnter module has a function that contπbutes to the overall functionality of the particular compact pπnter configuration Each compact pπnter module is typically shaped like part of a pen, physically connecting with other compact pπnter modules to form the complete pen-shaped device The length of the compact pπnter device depends on the number and type of compact pπnter modules connected The functionality of a compact pπnter configuration depends on the compact pπnter modules in the given configuration The compact pπnter modules connect both physically and logically The physical connection allows modules to be connected in any order, and the logical connection is taken care of by the compact pπnter Seπal Bus - a bus that provides power, allows the modules to self configure and provides for the transfer of data In terms of physical connection, most compact pπnter modules consist of a central body, a male connector at one end, and a female connector at the other Since most modules have both a male and female connector, the modules can typically be connected in any order Certain modules only have a male or a female connector, but this is determined by the function of the module Adaptor modules allow these single-connector modules to be connected at either end of a given compact pπnter configuration A four wire physical connection between all the compact pπnter modules provides the logical connection between them in the form of the compact pπnter Seπal Bus The compact pπnter Seπal Bus provides power to each module, and provides the means by which data is transferred between modules Importantly, the compact pπnter Seπal Bus and accompanying protocol provides the means by which the compact pπnter system auto-configures, reducing the user-interface burden on the end-user Compact pπnter modules can be grouped into three types • image processing modules including a Pπnter Module (FIG 1), a Camera Module (FIG 2), and a Memory Module (FIG 3) Image processing modules are pπmaπly what sets the compact pπnter system apart from other pen-like devices Image processing modules capture, pπnt, store or manipulate photographic images, • housekeeping modules including an Adapter Module (FIG 10), an Effects Module (FIG 8), a Communications Module (FIG 4), and a Timer Module (FIG 6) Housekeeping modules provide services to other modules or extended functionality to other modules, and • isolated modules including a Pen Module (FIG 11) and a Laser Module (FIG 7) Isolated modules are those that attach to the compact pπnter system but are completely independent of any other module They do not necessaπly require power, and may even provide their own power Isolated Modules are defined because the functionality they provide is typically incorporated into other pen-like devices Although housekeeping modules and isolated modules are useful components in a compact pπnter system, they are extras in a system dedicated to image processing and photographic manipulation Life size (1 1) illustrations of the compact pπnter modules are shown in FIGs 1 to 12, and example configurations produced by connecting vaπous modules together are shown in FIGs 13 to 16 FIG 1 shows a pπnter module that incorporates a compact pπnthead descnbed in co-pending United States Patent Applications listed m the Background section of this application, incorporated herewith by reference, and refeπed to herewith as a Memjet pπnthead The Memjet pπnthead is a drop-on-demand 1600 dpi inkjet pπnter that produces bi- level dots in up to 4 colors to produce a pπnted page of a particular width Since the pπnthead pπnts dots at 1600 dpi, each dot is approximately 22 5μm in diameter, and spaced 15 875μm apart Because the pπntmg is bi-level, the input image should be dithered or error-diffused for best results Typically a Memjet pπnthead for a particular application is page- width This enables the pπnthead to be stationary and allows the paper to move past the pπnthead A Memjet pπnthead is composed of a number of identical 1/2 inch Memjet segments SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The pπnter module 10 compnses a body 11 housing the Memjet pπnthead Power is supplied by a three volt battery housed in battery compartment 12 The pπnthead is activated to commence pπntmg when a business card (or similar sized pπntable media) is inserted into slot 13 Male connector 14 and female connector 15 facilitate connection of other modules to the pπnter module 10 FIG 2 shows a camera module 20 The camera module provides a point-and-shoot camera component to the compact pπnter system as a means of captuπng images The camera module compnses a body 21 having a female connector 22 A lens 23 directs an image to an image sensor and specialized image processing chip within the camera portion 24 A conventional view finder 25 is provided as well as a lens cap 26 An image is captured when the Take button 27 is pushed Captured images are processed and transfeπed to the Pnnter Module 10 for subsequent pπntmg, manipulation, or storage The Camera Module also contains a self-timer mode similar to that found on regular cameras FIG 3 shows a Memory Module 30 compπsmg a body 31, LCD 32, IN button 33, OUT button 34 and SELECT button 35 The Memory Module 30 is a standard module used for stonng photographic images captured by the Camera 20 The memory module stores 48 images, each of which can be accessed either at full resolution or at thumbnail resolution Full resolution provides read and wπte access to individual images, and thumbnail resolution provides read access to 16 images at once in thumbnail form The Memory Module 30 attaches to other modules via a female connector 36 or male connector 37 The male and female connectors allow the module to be connected at either end of a configuration Power is provided from the Pnnter Module 10 via the Seπal Bus A Communications Module 40 is shown in FIG 4 The communications module 40 consists of a connector 1 and a cable 42 that terminates in an appropnate connector for a computer port, such as a USB port, RS232 seπal port or parallel port The Communications Module 40 allows the compact pnnter system to be connected to a computer When so connected, images can be transferred between the computer and the vaπous modules of the compact pπnter system The communications module allows captured images to be downloaded to the computer, and new images for pπntmg to be uploaded into the pnnter module 10 A Flash Module 50 is shown in FIG 5 The Flash Module 50 is used to generate a flash with flash cell 51 when taking photographs with the Camera Module 20 The Flash Module attaches to other modules via female connector 52 and male connector 53 It contains its own power source The Flash Module is automatically selected by the Camera Module when required A simple switch allows the Flash Module to be explicitly turned off to maximize battery life FIG 6 shows a Timer Module 60 that is used to automate the taking of multiple photos with the Camera Module 20, each photo separated by a specific time interval The captured photos are stored m Memory Module 30 Any flash requirements are handled by the Camera Module 20, and can therefore be ignored by the Timer Module The Timer Module 60 consists of a body 61 housing a LCD 62, START/STOP button 63 and UNITS button 64 A SELECT button 65 allows the user to select time units and the number of units are set by UNITS button 64 The Timer Module 60 includes a male connector 66 and female connector 67 The Timer Module takes its power from the Pπnter Module 10 via the Seπal Bus A Laser Module 70 is shown in FIG 7 The Laser Module 70 consists of a body 71 containing a conventional laser pointer operated by button 72 As the Laser Module is a terminal module it only has one connector, which in the example is a male connector 73 The Laser Module is an isolated module, in that it does not perform any image capture, storage, or processing It exists as a functional addition to the compact pπnter system It is provided because laser pointer services are typically incorporated into other pen-like devices The Laser Module contains its own power supply and does not appear as a device on the Senal Bus The Effects Module shown in FIG 8 is an image processing module It allows a user to select a number of effects and applies them to the cuπent image stored in the Pπnter Module 10 The effects include borders, clip-art, captions, warps, color changes and painting styles The Effects Module compnses a body 81 housing custom electronics SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) and a LCD 82 A CHOOSE button 83 allows a user to choose between a number of different types of effects A SELECT button 84 allows the user to select one effect from the number of effects of the chosen type Pressing the APPLY button 85 applies the effect to image stored in the Pπnter Module 10 The Effects Module obtains power from the Seπal Bus Male connector 86 and female connector 87 allow the Effects Module to be connected to other compact pπnter system modules FIG 9 shows a Character Module 90 that is a special type of Effects Module (descnbed above) that only contains character clip-art effects of a given topic or genre Examples include The Simpsons ® , Star Wars ® , Batman ® , and Dilbert ® as well as company specific modules for McDonalds ® etc As such it is an image processing module It consists of a body 1 housing custom electronics and a LCD 92 SELECT button 93 allows the user to choose the effect that is to be applied with APPLY button 94 The Character Module obtains power from the Seπal Bus through male connector 95 and female connector 96 The Adaptor Module 100, shown in FIG 10, is a female/female connector that allows connection between two modules that terminate in male connectors A male/male connector (not shown) allows connection between two modules that terminate in female connectors The Adaptor Module is a housekeeping module, in that it facilitates the use of other modules, and does not perform any specific processing of its own All "through" modules have a male connector at one end, and a female connector at the other end The modules can therefore be chained together, with each module connected at either end of the chain However some modules, such as the Laser Module 70, are terminating modules, and therefore have either a male or female connector only Such single- connector modules can only be connected at one end of the chain If two such modules are to be connected at the one time, an Adaptor Module 100 is required FIG 11 shows a Pen Module 110 which is a pen in a module form It is an isolated module in that it attaches to the compact pnnter system but is completely independent of any other module It does not consume or require any power The Pen Module is defined because it is a convenient extension of a pen shaped, pen sized device It may also come with a cap 111 The cap may be used to keep terminating connectors clean in the case where the chain ends with a connector rather than a terminating module To assist with accurately feeding a business card sized pπnt media into slot 13 of the pπnter module 10, a dispenser module 120 is provided as shown in FIG 12 The dispenser module 120 compnses a body 121 that holds a store of business card sized pnnt media A Pπnter Module 10 locates into socket 122 on the dispenser module 120 When coπectly aligned, a card dispensed from the dispenser module by slider 123 enters slot 13 and is pπnted In the sense that a minimum configuration compact pπnter system must be able to pπnt out photos, a minimum compact pπnter configuration contains at least a Pnnter Module 10 The Pnnter Module holds a single photographic image that can be pπnted out via its Memjet pπnter It also contains the 3V battery required to power the compact pnnter system In this minimum configuration, the user is only able to pπnt out photos Each time a user inserts a business card 130 into the slot in the Pπnter Module, the image in the Pπnter Module is pπnted onto the card The same image is pπnted each time a business card is inserted into the pπnter In this minimum configuration there is no way for a user to change the image that is pnnted The dispenser module 120 can be used to feed cards 130 into the Pπnter Module with a minimum of fuss, as shown m FIG 13 By connecting a Camera Module 20 to the minimum configuration compact pπnter system the user now has an instant pπnting digital camera in a pen, as shown m FIG 14 The Camera Module 20 provides the mechanism for captuπng images and the Pπnter Module 10 provides the mechanism for pπnting them out The battery in the Pπnter Module provides power for both the camera and the pπnter When the user presses the "Take" button 27 on the Camera Module 20, the image is captured by the camera 24 and transferred to the Pπnter Module 10 Each time a business card is inserted into the pπnter the captured image is SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) pπnted out If the user presses "Take" on the Camera Module again, the old image in the Pπnter Module is replaced by the new image If the Camera Module is subsequently detached from the compact pnnter system, the captured image remains in the Pnnter Module, and can be pπnted out as many times as desired The Camera Module is simply there to capture images to be placed in the Pπnter Module FIG 15 shows a further configuration m which a Memory Module 30 is connected to the configuration of FIG 14 In the embodiment of FIG 15, the user has the ability to transfer images between the Pπnter Module 10 and a storage area contained in the Memory Module 30 The user selects the image number on the Memory Module, and then either sends that image to the Pπnter Module (replacing whatever image was already stored there), or bπngs the cuπent image from the Pπnter Module to the specified image number in the Memory Module The Memory Module also provides a way of sending sets of thumbnail images to the Pπnter Module Multiple Memory Modules can be included in a given system, extending the number of images that can be stored A given Memory Module can be disconnected from one compact pπnter system and connected to another for subsequent image pnnting With the Camera Module 20 attached to a Memory Module/Pπnter Module compact pπnter system, as shown in FIG 15, the user can "Take" an image with the Camera Module, then transfer it to the specified image number in the Memory Module The captured images can then be pnnted out in any order By connecting a Communications Module 40 to the minimum configuration compact pnnter system, the user gams the ability to transfer images between a PC and the compact pπnter system FIG 16 shows the configuration of FIG 15 with the addition of a Communications Module 40 The Communications Module makes the Pπnter Module 10 and any Memory Modules 30 visible to an external computer system This allows the download or uploading of images The communications module also allows computer control of any connected compact pnnter modules, such as the Camera Module 20 In the general case, the Pπnter Module holds the "current" image, and the other modules function with respect to this central repository of the current image The Pπnter Module is therefore the central location for image interchange in the compact pπnter system, and the Pπnter Module provides a service to other modules as specified by user interaction A given module may act as an image source It therefore has the ability to transior ai image to the Pπnter Module A different module may act as an image store It therefore has the ability to read the image from the Pπnter Module Some modules act as both image store and image source These modules can both read images from and wπte images to the Pnnter Module's current image The standard image type has a single conceptual definition The image definition is deπved from the physical attnbutes of the pπnthead used in the Pπnter Module The pπnthead is 2 inches wide and pπnts at 1600dpi in cyan, magenta and yellow bi-level dots Consequently a pπnted image from the compact pπnter system is 3200 bi-level dots wide The compact pnnter system pnnts on business card sized pages (85mm x 55mm) Since the pπnthead is 2 inches wide, the business cards are pπnted such that 1 line of dots is 2 inches 2 inches is 50 8mm, leaving a 2mm edge on a standard business-card sized page The length of the image is deπved from the same card size with a 2mm edge Consequently the pπnted image length is 81mm, which equals 5100 1600dpi dots The pπnted area of a page is therefore 81mm x 51mm, or 5100 x 3200 dots To obtain an integral contone to bi-level ratio a contone resolution of 267 ppi (pixels per inch) is chosen This yields a contone CMY page size of 850 x 534, and a contone to bi-level ratio of 1 6 in each dimension This ratio of 1 6 provides no perceived loss of quality since the output image is bi-level The pnnthead pπnts dots in cyan, magenta, and yellow ink The final output to the pπnted page must therefore be in the gamut of the pπnthead and take the attπbutes of the inks into account It would at first seem reasonable to use the SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) CMY color space to represent images However, the pπnter' s CMY color space does not have a linear response This is definitely true of pigmented inks, and partially true for dye-based inks The individual color profile of a particular device (input and output) can vary considerably Image capture devices (such as digital cameras) typically work in RGB (red green blue) color space, and each sensor will have its own color response charactenstics Consequently, to allow for accurate conversion, as well as to allow for future image sensors, inks, and pnnters, the CIE L*a*b* color model [CIE, 1986, CIE 15 2 Coloπmetry Technical Report (2 nd Edition), Commission Internationale De l'Eclairage] is used for the compact pπnter system L*a*b* is well defined, perceptually linear, and is a superset of other traditional color spaces (such as CMY, RGB, and HSV) The Pπnter Module must therefore be capable of converting L*a*b* images to the particular peculianties of its CMY color space However, since the compact pπnter system allows for connectivity to PCs, it is quite reasonable to also allow highly accurate color matching between screen and pπnter to be performed on the PC However the pπnter dπver or PC program must output L*a*b* Each pixel of a compact pπnter image is therefore represented by 24 bits 8 bits each of L*, a*, and b* The total image size is therefore 1,361,700 bytes (850 x 534 x 3) Each image processing module is able to access the image stored in the Pπnter Module The access is either to read the image from the Pπnter Module, or to wnte a new image to the Pπnter Module The communications protocol for image access to the Pnnter Module provides a choice of internal image organization Images can be accessed either as 850 x 534 or as 534 x 850 They can also be accessed in interleaved or planar format When accessed as interleaved, each pixel in the image is read or wntten as 24 bits 8 bits each of L*, a*, b* When accessed as planar, each of the color planes can be read or wntten independently The entire image of L* pixels, a* pixels or b* pixels can be read or wntten at a time The Camera Module 20 provides a pomt-and-shoot camera component to the compact pnnter system as a means of captuπng images The Camera Module 20 is a standard module containing an image sensor and specialized image processing chip Captured images are transferred to the Pπnter Module 10 for subsequent pπnting, manipulation, or storage The Camera Module 20 may also contain a self-timer mode similar to that found on known cameras FIG 17 shows a magnified perspective view of the Camera Module 20, as previously descπbed with reference to FIG 2 As shown by FIG 18, there is a swivel connection between the camera portion 24 and the base portion 28 that allows the camera 24 to be aligned with the base 28 for ease of carnage Also visible m FIG 18 is the self-timer switch 29 FIG 19 is an exploded view of the camera 24 The core of the camera is a CMOS imaging sensor 241 mounted on a flexible pπnted circuit board (PCB) 242 Also formed on the PCB 242 is an image processing chip 243 which may be an application specific integrated circuit The lens 23 focuses the view onto the image sensor 241 The viewfinder 25 allows the user to select the image to be captured by looking through eyepiece 251 The lens 23, viewfinder 25 and image sensor 241 are held in chassis molding 213 formed as a pair of half moldings A front molding 214 is glued to the chassis molding 213 and protects the lens 23 and viewfinder 25 The lens cap 26 rotates on pivot 261 The cap is spπng loaded by spπng 262 The camera 24 is mechanically connected to base 28 by pivot assembly 281 The pivot assembly 281 consists of a cam molding 282 A pin 283 fits in hole 284 to hold the upper end of the cam molding 282 in the chasses molding 213 The lower end of the cam molding is held in the base 28 in the manner descπbed below The flex PCB 242 threads through the cam molding and terminates in contacts 221 that connect to the Seπal Bus at the female connector 22 A contact 271 forms part of the take button 27 An LED 272 in the take button 27 gives a visual indication of a ten second countdown that applies when the self-timer switch 29 activates the self-timer The components of the camera 24 are contained within a metal case 211 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The base 28 includes an upper molding 285 with slot 286 that receives pin 287 The pm 287 captures the lower end of the pivot assembly 281 The pin 287 is biased by spnngs 288 towards the bottom of the slot 286 The camera 24 is lifted away from the base 28 to allow it to pivot between the positions shown in FIG 17 and FIG 18 The self-timer switch 29 fits in slot 291 and activates the switch by sliding small contact 292 against large contact 293 The actual switch is formed in two parts 294 and 295 The base 28 also includes a lower molding 289 that carπes contact stπps 222 The contacts 221 on the end of the flex PCB 242 mate with the contact stnps 222 to make the contact to the Senal Bus A flange 273 supports the flex PCB 242 in the vicinity of the take button contact 271 The components of the base 28 are contained within a metal extrusion 212 The manner in which the components fit together is made clear in FIG 21 which is a partly exploded view of the camera module 20, and m FIG 22 that is a cut-away view of the camera module 20 Looking particularly at FIG 22, the path of the flex PCB 242 can be clearly seen The Camera Module 20 connects to a compact pnnter configuration via the female connector 22 which joins the camera module to the Seπal Bus via contacts 222 Power is provided from the Pπnter module 10 via the Seπal Bus To capture an image, a user simply presses the Take button 27 The viewfinder 25 allows the user to frame the image before pressing the Take button When the Take button 27 is pressed, the image is captured through the lens 23 and transferred to the Pπnter Module 10 If the Take button is pressed again, a new image will be captured and transferred to the Pπnter Module The image is always transferred to the Pπnter module once the Take button is pressed Although the image remains in the Camera Module, there is no physical method of transfemng the image from the Camera Module again The image must be saved from the Pπnter Module instead (to, for example, the Memory Module 30) The only way of directly accessing the captured image is via a computer interface using the communication module 40 The self-timer switch 29 set to off/on disables and enables a ten second delay between the pressing of the Take button and the captuπng of the image The LED inside the Take button provides a visual feedback dunng the countdown The LED flashes once per second, and then stays on for the final two seconds of the countdown The self-timing functionality is therefore identical to that of a conventional camera If there is an active Flash Module 50 present in the compact pπnter configuration, then the Flash will be activated depending on the Flash Module's flash mode If the Flash Module has been turned off, then the flash will not fire If the Flash Module is set to auto, then the flash fires as necessary (light detection earned out by the Camera Module) As mentioned above, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) configured as an image processor 243 processes images captured by the image sensor 241 The elements of the image processor 243 are shown in FIG 23 The elements of the image processor ASIC are descπbed in detail in a co-pending application titled Image Processor for Pπnter Module The image processor 243 includes an image capture unit 231 that receives an image from the image sensor 241 The image is processed by an image histogram unit 232 and image enhancement unit 233 The captured image is a Bayer color filter array RGB image and it is transformed to an 850x534 contone L*a*b* output image The processed image is stored ImageRAM 234 In normal operation the image is placed on the Seπal Bus through the Seπal Bus interface 235 and transferred to the pπnter module 10 for pπnting A low speed CPU 236 with associated program memory 237 and vaπable memory 238 take care of housekeeping and administration tasks A CPU Memory Decoder 239 is a simple decoder for satisfying CPU data accesses The Decoder translates data addresses into internal register accesses over the internal low speed bus 240, and therefore allows for memory mapped I/O of image processor registers The bus 240 includes address lines 240a and data or control lines 240b A parallel interface 241 connects the image processor to individual static electπcal signals, such as LCD segments 242 and buttons 243 (eg self timer) The CPU 236 is able to control each of these connections as memory- mapped I/O via the low-speed bus 240 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) A standard JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) Interface 244 may be included m the image processor for testing purposes. Due to the complexity of the chip, a vanety of testing techniques are required, including BIST (Built In Self Test) and functional block isolation. The image processor 236 may also include a clock phase-locked loop 245 that provides timing signals to the controller. The clock 245 draws a base signal from crystal oscillator 246. Some CPU include a clock so the clock 245 and crystal 246 may not be required The Camera Module 20 can be instructed to take a photo either by a computer (via the Communication Module 40) or by another module. However in both cases, the self-timer switch is ignored and the captured image is not transfened to the Pπnter Module. Instead, the image is simply captured and stored locally in the Camera Module in ImageRam 234 The Camera Module can then be instructed in a subsequent command to transfer its image to a specified module or simply to return it to the caller The combination of the camera module 20 with the pπnter module 10 constitutes a minimum compact pnnter system that allows an image to be captured and pπnted directly Throughout the specification the aim has been to descπbe the prefeπed embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize vanations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A camera module for a compact pπnter system compnsing: a body; an image sensor within said body that captures an image of a scene; an image processor within said body that processes said image into a form suitable for transfemng directly to a pπnter module; a connection means at an end of said body for connecting said camera module to said pπnter module, said connection means incorporating connection to a bus providing power and data between said camera module and said pπnter module 2. The camera module of claim 1 wherein said image sensor is a CMOS sensor. 3. The camera module of claim 1 wherein said image processor is an integrated circuit that enhances said image. 4 The camera module of claim 1 wherein said image is captured in a first color space and said image processor processes said image into a second color space. 5. The camera module of claim 1 wherein said image is captured as a Bayer color filter array RGB image and said image processor transforms said image to a contone L*a*b* output image 6. The camera module of claim 1 wherein said connection means compnses a bayonet fitting providing physical connection between said camera module and said pπnter module. 7. The camera module of claim 1 wherein said camera module compnses a camera portion and a base portion, said camera portion being movable between a first position aligned on a common axis with said base portion, and a second position wherein an axis of the camera portion is not aligned with an axis of said base portion 8. The camera module of claim 7 wherein said image sensor and said image processor are located in said camera portion. 9. The camera module of claim 7 wherein said connection means is formed in said base portion. 10. The camera module of claim 1 further including a take button, wherein actuation of said take button initiates capture of an image by said image sensor, transforming of said image by said image processor and transfer of said image to said pπnter module on said bus. 11 The camera module of claim 1 wherein said bus is a Seπal Bus. 12. The camera module of claim 1 further compnsing a self-timer. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Inventors: LAPSTUN PAUL, SILVERBROOK KIA, WALMSLEY SIMON ROBERT, LAPSTUN, PAUL, SILVERBROOK, KIA, WALMSLEY, SIMON, ROBERT
Applicants: LAPSTUN PAUL, SILVERBROOK KIA, SILVERBROOK RES PTY LTD, WALMSLEY SIMON ROBERT, LAPSTUN, PAUL, SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY LTD, SILVERBROOK, KIA, WALMSLEY, SIMON, ROBERT
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G03B15
IPC codes: B41J2, B41J3, B41J13, B41J23, B41J29, H04N1, H04N5