Abstract:
A mouse pointing device for use with a personal computer includes a motion sensor serving to relay positional data from the device to a computer to effect motion of a graphic pointer on a monitor. A printer located within the housing receives print image information from the computer. The printer is configured to print an image on print media external to the device as the device traverses the media The motion sensor provides positional data of the device relative to the print media to the printer during the printing operation.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The following invention relates to computer pointing device technology and printing. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a mouse having a built-in printer.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Modem desktop computers and their associated peripheral devices take up a lot of desk space. Desktop scanners, printers, monitors, keyboards and mouse pointing devices all demand desk space. Particularly monopolizing of desk space are desktop printers and mouse pointers. Mouse pointers themselves are quite small, but they require a large area of desk space in use.  
         [0003]     The mere incorporation into a mouse body of a known printer device would not result in a compact, easily manoeuvrable mouse. 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 printhead to effect printing onto the print media. Moreover, known printers, having a supply of print media, are large and heavier than would be desirable in a mouse pointing device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     In accordance with the invention, there is provided a mouse pointing device comprising: 
        a housing;     a motion sensor mounted to the housing and serving to relay positional data from the device to a computer so as to effect motion of a graphic pointer on a monitor associated with the computer; and     a printer located within the housing and configured to receive print data from the computer, the printer being configured to print an image, based on the print data, onto print media external to said housing as the housing traverses said media, said motion sensor providing positional data of the housing relative to said print media to the printer during printing.        
 
         [0008]     Preferably, the housing further includes an ink supply for storing ink and supplying it to the printer. More preferably, the ink supply comprises a removable ink cartridge.  
         [0009]     In a preferred form, the printer includes a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead including a plurality of ink ejection nozzles.  
         [0010]     Preferably, the housing also includes a print controller including a computer processor into which the print data can be input and converted into a sequence of drop ejection control signals. In this case, the print controller operates the ink ejection nozzles in accordance with the drop ejection control signals to cause printing on the print media at a rate determined using a measured relative speed between the printhead and the print media.  
         [0011]     Preferably, the motion sensor includes a light source to emit light onto a surface on which the device is used. Light reflected from the surface passes through a lens to a CCD chip.  
         [0012]     It is particularly preferred that the printer includes a printhead fabricated at least partially using microelectromechanical processes.  
         [0000]     Co-Pending Applications  
         [0013]     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                      
 
         [0014]     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                  
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective illustration of a mouse having almost completed the printing of an image onto a page, the mouse being in accordance with the invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective illustration of the mouse;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a schematic inverted perspective illustration of the mouse;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a schematic inverted exploded perspective illustration of the mouse;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the mouse;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the mouse;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the mouse;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is an end elevational view of the mouse;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a schematic inverted plan view of the mouse;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of the mouse taken at X-X in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a schematic cross-sectional end elevational view of the mouse taken at XI-XI in  FIG. 9 ; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a schematic perspective view of internal components of the mouse. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]     In  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a mouse  10  having almost completely traversed a page of print media  11  so as to print an image  12  thereon. Mouse  10  is connected to a computer via a universal serial bus (USB) cable  12 , although any suitable data connection, including a wireless infrared or radio based connection, can be used instead.  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mouse  10  looks similar to a known mouse from above and includes a top molding  15 , a pair of button moldings  13  and a scroll wheel/button  14  situated therebetween.  
         [0030]     The underside of the mouse is shown in  FIG. 3 , including a base molding  16  to which the top molding  15  is attached. A number of slider pads  17  are attached to the base molding  16 , thereby enabling the mouse to slide smoothly over a mouse pad or a sheet of print media.  
         [0031]     A light pipe  20  emits light through an opening  48  so as to be reflected from a surface of a mouse pad or the print media and received by lens  21 .  
         [0032]     Also shown is a “MEMJET” printer chip  18  flanked by the slider pads  17 . A mechanical capper device  19  caps the “MEMJET” chip  18  when printing is not in operation.  
         [0033]     An ink cartridge  22  ( FIG. 3 ) is received within an ink cartridge bay  23  ( FIG. 4 ). A number of flexible collars  24  extend into the ink cartridge bay  23 . A corresponding number of ink pins  25  projecting from an ink connector block  26  extend into the flexible collars  24  of the ink cartridge bay  23 .  
         [0034]     The ink connector block  26  conveys ink to the printhead  18 . A flexible printed circuit board (PCB)  27  is connected to the printhead  18 . A print chip  28  forms part of the printhead  18 . A printed circuit board (PCB)  34  is housed within the mouse and has attached to it the USB cable  12 . Also attached to the PCB  34  are QA chip contacts  29  adapted to contact a QA chip  45  ( FIG. 12 ) on the ink cartridge  22 .  
         [0035]     An optical lens molding  30  is attached to the PCB  34  as shown.  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , there is located within the mouse  10  a high power/intensity light emitting diode (LED)  32 . This emits light into the light pipe  20  for reflection from the surface and collection by the lens  30  to be focused on a CCD chip  33 . The arrangement of LED  32 , light pipe  20 , lens  30  and the CCD chip  33  is known, and is used, for example, in the Microsoft “IntelliMouse® Explorer”.  
         [0037]     As can be seen in the cross-sectional view in  FIG. 10 , the ink cartridge  22  comprises individual compartments for cyan ink  35 , black ink  36 , yellow ink  37  and magenta ink  38 .  
         [0038]     The construction and operation of scroll wheel and button  14  is also well known, and is used in, for example, Microsoft “IntelliMouse®” models.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the flexible PCB  27  is connected via flex connector  39  to the PCB  34 . The flex PCB transmits power and data to the printhead  18  for operational control of the “MEMJET” print chip  28  and capper device  29 .  
         [0040]     Electronic components attached to the PCB  34  are shown in  FIG. 12 . These include the CCD chip  33 , the print engine controller chip (PEC)  43 , a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip  41  and a flash memory chip  42 .  
         [0041]     In use, the mouse can be manipulated by a user to control software in a conventional manner. That is, motion of the mouse upon a mouse pad or other surface results in corresponding movement of the pointer on a monitor. Clicking of the mouse buttons  13  results in conventional software effects.  
         [0042]     In order to print an image  12  on a page, software can be activated by use of the mouse and/or a keyboard.  
         [0043]     The mouse can then be manipulated by a user to traverse page  11  in a straight line indicated by arrow A in  FIG. 1 . Motion of the mouse  10  is detected via lens  21  by the CCD chip  33 . Positional information can be transmitted via cable  12  to the computer, which in turn sends print control signals back down cable  12  to the mouse and printhead  18 . More preferably however, the positional information read by CCD chip  33  is relayed directly via PCB  34  to the PEC chip  43  which takes graphic information from DRAM memory  41  and controls the printhead  18  so as to deposit ink onto media  11  depending on the speed at which the mouse is manipulated by the user to traverse the page.  
         [0044]     In order to ensure a straight or “parallel” movement of the mouse across the page in the printing operation, its back edge  47  might be provided as a straight edge to bear against a straight ruler, for example, held in place by a user upon the print media  11 . That is, the mouse can be drawn against an edge of a ruler for example to ensure correct, parallel printing in a direction normal to the longitudinal extent of the print chip  18 . Smearing of ink directly after its deposit onto the print media  11  by slider pads  17  does not occur as the pads are located longitudinally outward of the print chip  18 .  
         [0045]     In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the printhead is configured to print coded data onto the media, preferably in an infrared ink that is substantially invisible to humans. It is particularly preferred that the coded data be printed in addition to other, visible data, such that a coded data reader can be used by a user to sense the coded data on the media even where there is visible printed information. Further information about the applicant&#39;s Netpage system incorporating such coded data reading and printing is disclosed in the patent applications and patents listed in the paragraph headed “Related Patent Applications and Patents”, at page 2, the contents of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.  
         [0046]     It will be appreciated that various aspects of the printhead such as size, resolution, orientation relative to the mouse, number and type of printable inks and the like can be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Although various aspects of the invention have been described with reference to a number of specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms. It will further be understood that any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.