Abstract:
A digital camera has a built-in printer to enable the printing of a stored image upon a page external to the camera as the camera traverse the page. The camera can be maintained compact and lightweight as no paper storage or papered mechanism need be provided A replaceable ink cartridge that detachable connects to the printhead reduces the cost of ongoing consumables.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The following invention relates to digital camera technology. More particularly, though not 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  
       [0002]     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 uploaded to a computer to which them might be attached a peripheral printer.  
         [0003]     Known digital cameras have no means of providing an “instant” print-out of an image photographed thereby.  
         [0004]     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 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  
       [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 on 12 Feb. 2003:  
                                               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 ar incorporated herein by cross-reference.  
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       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a digital camera comprising: 
        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, the printer having a printhead and is adapted to receive digital information corresponding to the captured image from the digital storage device;     a replaceable ink cartridge for location in the housing and detachable connection to the printer;     the printer is adapted to print the captured image on media external to the camera as the camera traverses the media.        
 
         [0014]     Preferably, the camera further comprises a lens and wherein the image is captured by the image sensor via the lens.  
         [0015]     Preferably, the printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.  
         [0016]     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.  
         [0017]     Preferably, the digital storage device comprises a removable memory card.  
         [0018]     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.  
         [0019]     Preferably, the camera further comprises a speed sensor adapted to sense the speed at which the camera traverses the media.  
         [0020]     Preferably, 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.  
         [0021]     Preferably, the speed sensor comprises: 
        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.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     A preferred form of the present invention will row be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration of a camera having a built-in printer, in use traversing a print media to print an image thereon;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the front of the camera;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the rear of the camera;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective illustration of the base of the camera;  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the camera;  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the camera;  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a right side elevational view of the camera;  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of the camera;  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  is an inverted plan view of the camera;  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  is a left side elevational view of the camera;  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the camera taken at XI-XI in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0036]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the rear of the camera showing an ink cartridge removed therefrom; and  
         [0037]      FIG. 13  is a further perspective view of the rear of the camera showing a memory card removed from a memory card chassis in the camera. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0038]     In  FIG. 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 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.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the camera  10  includes a view finder  11 , a flash unit  12  and a zoom lens  13 . 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.  
         [0040]     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.  
         [0041]     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 .  
         [0042]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the camera body also houses a removable ink cartridge  27 .  FIG. 3  also shows the external features of the camera&#39;s printer. At the transition between the back and the base of the 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 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 No AP43) referred to above.  
         [0043]     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.  
         [0044]     An exploded perspective view of the camera assembly is shown in  FIG. 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  FIG. 6 ). A digital zoom unit  32  is associated with the lens  13  and receives signals and power from the main printed circuit board  40  upon which it is mounted Behind the lens  13  and attached to the printed circuit board  40  is an image or  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 n to the captured image is stored in the memory cart  38 .  
         [0045]     The zoom activation buttons  15  are connected electrically to the main printed circuit board  40  as is a capacitor  41  which serves to energize the flash unit  12  when a picture is taken upon depression of the 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 .  
         [0046]     Ink is delivered to the chip  34  of the printhead  30  via an ink connector  52  which receives ink from the ink cartridge  27 .  
         [0047]     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 ret The ink cartridge  27  includes ink outlets  35  via which ink therefrom is communicated with the ink connector  52 . Ink cartridge  27  also includes a quality assurance (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.  
         [0048]      FIG. 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 main printed circuit board  40 .  
         [0049]     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  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0050]     As can seen in  FIG. 12 , the ink cartridge  27  has a spring catch  50  formed at one of its ends. This 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 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 13  depicts the camera  10  with the memory card door  16  open and the memory card  38  removed from the memory card chassis  39 .  
         [0052]     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 program g buttons  25  can be manipulated to make a selection prior to printing. A print enable button  14  can then be depressed whereupon the user can swipe the camera across the blank print media  20  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) to effect image printing thereon.  
         [0053]     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 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 in any other internal configuration depending upon the particular application.