Abstract:
A digital pager has a built-in printer to enable the printing of a text message and/or a graphic image upon a page as the pager housing traverses the page. The pager can be maintained compact and lightweight as no paper storage or paper feed mechanism need be provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The following invention relates to pager technology. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a pager having a built-in printer. Such a printer might be a drop-on-demand inkjet printer utilizing a fixed printhead system.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Known pagers have a display panel upon which messages are displayed. However, no means of conveniently producing a print-out of the message is heretofore known.  
         [0003]     The mere incorporation into a pager housing of a known printer device would not result in a compact, easily portable pager. 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. Such known printers, having a supply of print media, are large and heavier than would be desirable in a portable pager.  
       CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS  
       [0004]     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:  
                                                                       AP39   AP43   AP44   AP46   AP47   AP48           AP49   AP50   AP51   AP52   AP53   AP55           AP58   AP60   AP61   AP62   AP63   AP64           AP65   AP66   AP67   AP68   AP69   AP70           AP71   AP77   AP78   AP79                      
 
         [0005]     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.  
                                                 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       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       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       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   US09/425,420       US09/422,893   US09/609,140   US6,409,323   US6,281,912       US09/575,113   US6,318,920   US6,488,422   US09/693,644       US6,457,810   US6,485,135   US09/112,763   US6,331,946       US6,246,970   US6,442,525   US09/505,951   US09/505,147       US09/505,952   US09/575,108   US09/575,109   US09/575,110       US09/607,985   US6,398,332   US6,394,573   US09/606,999       US6,238,044   US6,425,661   US6,390,605   US6,322,195       US09/504,221   US6,480,089   US6,460,778   US6,305,788       US6,426,014   US6,364,453   US6,457,795   US09/556,219       US09/556,218   US6,315,399   US6,338,548   US09/575,190       US6,328,431   US6,328,425   US09/575,127   US6,383,833       US6,464,332   US6,390,591   US09/575,152   US6,328,417       US6,322,194   US09/575,177   US09/575,175   US6,417,757       US09/608,780   US6,428,139   US09/607,498   US09/693,079       US09/693,135   US6,428,142   US09/692,813   US09/693,319       US09/693,311   US6,439,908   US09/693,735   PCT/AU98/00550       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00517   PCT/AU00/00511   PCT/AU00/00754       00516   PCT/AU00/00756   PCT/AU00/00757   PCT/AU00/00095       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00338   PCT/AU00/00339   PCT/AU00/00340       00755   PCT/AU00/00581   PCT/AU00/00580   PCT/AU00/00582       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00588   PCT/AU00/00589   PCT/AU00/00583       00172   PCT/AU00/00590   PCT/AU00/00591   PCT/AU00/00592       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00585   PCT/AU00/00586   PCT/AU00/00749       00341   PCT/AU00/00751   PCT/AU00/00752   PCT/AU01/01332       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/01513   PCT/AU00/01514   PCT/AU00/01515       00587   PCT/AU00/01517   PCT/AU00/01512   PCT/AU01/00502       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00333   PCT/AU01/00141   PCT/AU01/00139       00593   PCT/AU00/00753   PCT/AU01/01321   PCT/AU01/01322       PCT/AU00/   PCT/AU00/00594   PCT/AU00/00595   PCT/AU00/00596       00584   PCT/AU00/00598   PCT/AU00/00741   PCT/AU00/00742       PCT/AU00/       00750       PCT/AU01/       01318       PCT/AU00/       01516       PCT/AU02/       01120       PCT/AU01/       00140       PCT/AU01/       01323       PCT/AU00/       00597                  
 
       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a pager comprising: 
        a housing;     a digital storage device adapted to store one or both of text and image data received by the pager;     a printer located within the housing and configured to: 
            (a) receive digital information from the digital storage device; and     (b) print one or both of text and an image on print media external to the printer as the housing traverses said print media.    
               
 
         [0012]     Preferably, the pager further comprises an antenna via which one or both of said text data and said image data is received.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.  
         [0014]     Preferably, the housing has located therein a replaceable ink cartridge communicating with the printhead.  
         [0015]     Preferably, the pager has located within the housing a speed sensor including an optical encoder wheel adapted to contact the print media and to rotate as the housing traverses the print media, said optical encoder wheel including a series of circumferential spaced markings thereon, the speed sensor further including an optical sensor for detecting the markings as said markings pass the optical sensor during rotation of the optical encoder wheel.  
         [0016]     Preferably, the circumferential spacing between successive markings on the optical encoder wheel is substantially equal to the spacing between successive print lines in at least one of the text and the image being printed by the printhead.  
         [0017]     Preferably, detection of a marking on said encoder wheel by the optical sensor triggers the printing of a next line of one or both of text data and image data.  
         [0018]     Preferably, the pager further includes a power supply located within said housing. More preferably, the power supply includes a battery removable from the pager.  
         [0019]     Preferably, the pager further comprises a display screen adapted to display one or both of the text and the image.  
         [0020]     Preferably, the pager further comprises user operable buttons for controlling said printer.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective illustration of a pager having a built-in printer, in use traversing a page to print an image thereon;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a pager;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a schematic inverted perspective view of the pager of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a schematic exploded perspective view of the pager of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a schematic plan view of the pager;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a schematic side elevational view of the pager;  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is a schematic front elevational view of the pager;  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a schematic inverted plan view of the pager; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a schematic perspective view of the pager with a back cover removed. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]     In  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a pager  10  having a built-in printer, having almost completely traversed a page of print media  12  to print an image  11  thereon. The pager  10  is a hand-held device that is sized and shaped to fit easily within the pocket or purse, for example, of a user.  
         [0032]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the housing of pager  10  includes a plastics top molding  13  and a base molding  14 . The top molding  13  has a display window  23 , a pair of scroll buttons  21 , a YES/GO button  15  and a NO/STOP button  16 .  
         [0033]     At the bottom edge of the housing of the pager  10  there is provided an optical encoder wheel  18 , an idler wheel  20  and a printhead  19  therebetween. Operation of the printhead, the optical encoder wheel and associated internal componentry can be found in our co-pending application (docket AP46) entitled “Manually Operable Printer-Scanner”. Although the printing mechanism utilized in the present invention might be identical to that disclosed in the co-pending application (docket AP46), other forms of small, lightweight printers (yet to be developed) that can print on print media external to the pager housing  10  can be employed.  
         [0034]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the base molding  14  has associated therewith a battery/ink cartridge cover molding  17 . This would typically reside alongside the printhead  11  as shown  
         [0035]     An exploded perspective view of the pager is shown in  FIG. 4 . Beneath the top molding  13 , there is provided an elastomeric button molding  22  to cover the electrical switches of the scroll buttons  21 , the YES/GO button  15  and the NO/STOP button  16 .  
         [0036]     Situated beneath the display window  23 , there is provided a liquid crystal display (LCD)  24 . LCD  24  is attached to a printed circuit board  25  behind which there is located electronics  29 . Power to the printed circuit board  25  and LCD  24  is from a battery  30  via battery contacts  28 . Battery  30  might typically be an AAA sized battery. The battery might typically be rechargeable.  
         [0037]     Also located within the pager housing and associated with the printhead  9  is a flexible printed circuit board  27  which contacts with the printed circuit board  25  to provide control signals and power to the printhead  19 .  
         [0038]     Also associated with the printhead  19  is an ink connector  26  to receive ink from an ink cartridge  32 . A question/answer (QA) chip  31  on the ink cartridge  32  makes contact with the underside of ink connector  26  to indicate that the cartridge is present If the cartridge is absent, a display warning might be sent to the LCD  24 .  
         [0039]     Details of the electronics  29  can be better seen in  FIG. 9 . That is, attached to the underside of PCB  25  is a printer chip  35  serving to the control the operation of the printhead  19  and perhaps to store digital image data to be printed. However, the digital data might be stored on another chip or chips or might be stored on a memory card or other storage unit. The flex PCB  27  is shown attached to PCB  25  in this figure. A coin battery  36  such as a lithium ion battery is also attached to the PCB  25 . This might serve to maintain any memory data when the main battery  30  is removed or drained. An antenna  37  associated with the pager unit is also depicted. Also associated with the pager unit is a vibrating magnet  33  and a speaker  34 . Features  33 ,  34  and  37  will not be described in detail as they can be standard pager components.  
         [0040]     In use, the pager unit receives messages via the antenna  37  whereupon the speaker  34  makes a tone and/or the vibrating magnet  33  vibrates the pager to indicate that a message has been received. The message can be viewed through the display window  23  upon manipulation of buttons  21 . Software controlling the LCD can display a print option whereupon the YES/GO button  15  can be depressed to initiate a printing mode, or the NO/STOP button  16  can be pressed if a print-out is not required.  
         [0041]     Apart from text messages, the pager might receive a graphic image. Text and/or a graphic image can be printed upon the sheet of print media  12  by grasping the pager unit  10  and rolling it across the page with optical encoder wheel  18  and idler wheel  20  in contact therewith. When the unit is drawn across the page, the printhead  19  deposits droplets of ink upon the page to produce the image  11 . The image  11  can be monchrome or color, depending on the type of printhead employed and the configuration of the ink cartridge and ink delivery means. For color printing, multiple-color inks can be employed and the printhead of cross-referenced application AP46 can be employed.