Hand held mobile phone with integral internal printer
View Patent ↗A mobile phone device having an image sensor adapted to sense images, a mobile phone processor adapted to transmit sensed images and to receive received images and a printer processor adapted to instruct a printer assembly inside the mobile phone device to print sensed and received images. The mobile phone device also has a print media inlet adapted to receive print media from a print media supply external to the mobile phone device.
1. A mobile phone device with integral internal print apparatus, the device comprising:
an image sensor adapted to sense images;
a mobile telephone unit adapted to transmit and receive images;
processing means for processing the sensed and received images into a printable form;
a printhead and ink distribution unit assembly in communication with the processing means for printing out the processed images onto the print media; and
print media feed means to feed print media received from a print media supply to the printhead for printing of the processed images thereon,
wherein the print media supply is external to the phone device.
2. A mobile phone device comprising:
(a) an image sensor adapted to sense images;
(b) a mobile phone processor adapted to transmit sensed images and to receive received images;
(c) a printer processor adapted to instruct a printer assembly inside the mobile phone device to print sensed and received images; and
(d) a print media inlet adapted to receive print media from a print media supply external to the mobile phone device.
3. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a printer assembly inside the mobile phone device, the printer assembly comprising:
(i) a printhead adapted to print onto print media;
(ii) an ink distribution unit assembly adapted to provide ink to the printhead; and
(iii) print media feed means adapted to feed print media received via the print media inlet past the printhead.
4. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein one or both of the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly are replaceable.
5. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises a single printhead unit of approximately the width of the print media and which has been formed using semiconductor fabrication techniques.
6. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises a full colour printhead.
7. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the ink distribution unit assembly of the printer assembly comprises a series of ink supply reservoirs adapted to supply separate colours to the printhead.
8. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly is an ink jet printhead.
9. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein one or both of the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly includes some form of authentication means.
10. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the print media is in the form of a paper print roll.
11. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the print media comprises paper or card sheets.
12. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the paper or card sheets are substantially the size of an average business card.
13. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 further including a scanner adapted to scan printed images.
14. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the image sensor is adapted to operate as a still image sensor.
15. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the image sensor is adapted to operate as a video image sensor.