Hand held mobile phone with integral internal printer with print media supply

1. A mobile phone device with integral internal print apparatus and print media supply, the device comprising:

an image sensor adapted to sense images;

a mobile telephone unit adapted to transmit and receive images;

an internal print media storage unit adapted to store print media;

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 the print media from the storage means to the printhead for printing of the processed images thereon.

2. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or more of the print media storage unit, the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly are replaceable.

3. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 2 wherein one or more of the print media storage unit the printhead and the ink distribution unit are replaceable by means of a snap-fit engagement.

4. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the print media comprises paper or card sheets.

5. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the paper or card sheets are substantially the size of an average business card.

6. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 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.

7. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises a full colour printhead.

8. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 7 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.

9. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 8 wherein one of the series of ink supply reservoirs is substantially larger than the others.

10. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly is an ink jet printhead.

11. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the printhead is a printhead chip manufactured by a MEMS processing technique.

12. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the printhead of the printer assembly comprises an array of ink ejection nozzles and nozzle chambers, each nozzle chamber containing ink and each nozzle having art open and a closed position and being adapted to eject ink from its corresponding nozzle chamber when in its open position.

13. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 12 wherein each ink ejection nozzle is in its closed position when covered by a thermal bend actuator and wherein each ink ejection nozzle is in its open position when not covered by a thermal bend actuator, each thermal bend actuator being responsive to an electrical pulse to selectively cover and uncover its corresponding ink ejection nozzle.

14. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of the printhead and the ink distribution unit assembly includes some form of authentication means.

15. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 further including a scanner adapted to scan printed images.

16. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the print media is in the form of a paper print roll.

17. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the print media storage unit comprises a cartridge adapted to store the paper print roll.

18. A mobile phone device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the cartridge also houses an ink supply.

19. A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the printead of the printer assembly comprises a full colour printhead and to ink supply of the cartridge comprises a series of ink supply reservoirs adapted to supply separate colours to the colour printhead.