Abstract: A printhead maintenance assembly for an inkjet printer includes a movable chassis arranged in a housing; an endless belt mounted on the chassis, the endless belt having a contact surface reciprocally movable between a first position in which the contact surface is engaged with the printhead and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the printhead; a pair of spools mounted on the chassis and on which the belt is mounted, one of the spools being a toothed drive spool and the other being an idler spool; a drive gear driven by a drive motor and engaged with the drive spool, the drive gear, the drive spool, and the drive motor forming a conveyor mechanism for conveying the belt in a direction substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the printhead; and a cleaning station mounted on the chassis and positioned to clean the belt as the belt moves past. The contact surface is sloped with respect to the printhead.

Abstract: A multiprocessor chip for operating a hand held imaging device with a CMOS image sensor such as a digital camera. The multiprocessor chip has multiple processing units configured for working in parallel and an image sensor interface for receiving data from the CMOS image sensor. The multiple processing units simultaneously process the data from the image sensor interface.

Abstract: A portable handheld device includes an image sensor for capturing an image; and a one-chip microcontroller having integrated therein a CPU for processing a script language and a multi-core processor for processing an image captured by the image sensor. The multi-core processor includes therein multiple processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch. Each processing unit includes an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU). Each ALU includes a first register set for accepting data from the first crossbar switch, and a second register set for loading data to the crossbar switch.

Abstract: A method of minimizing ink consumption during printhead priming in an inkjet printer. The printhead has a nozzle face defining an array of nozzles for ejecting ink on to a media substrate. The method includes the steps of: providing a porous pad having a contact face dimensioned so that it can encompass all the nozzles in the array; moving the porous pad such that the contact face engages the nozzle face to cover the array of nozzles; forcing ink into the printhead under pressure until ink flows out the nozzles in the array and into the porous pad engaged with the nozzle face; and withdrawing the porous pad such that the contact face disengages the nozzle face.

Abstract: A quad-core processor for a camera with a CMOS image sensor. The quad-core processor has an image sensor interface for receiving data from the CMOS image sensor and four processing units configured for operating in parallel to process the data from the image sensor interface. The four processing units and the image sensor interface are integrated onto a single chip.

Abstract: A camera system including: a substrate having a coding pattern printed thereon and a handheld digital camera device. The camera device includes: a digital camera unit having a first image sensor for capturing images and a color display for displaying captured images to a user; an integral processor configured for: controlling operation of the first image sensor and color display; decoding an imaged coding pattern printed on a substrate, the printed coding pattern employing Reed-Solomon encoding; and performing an action in the handheld digital camera device based on the decoded coding pattern. The decoding includes the steps of: detecting target structures defining the extent of the data area; determining the data area using the detected target structures; and Reed-Solomon decoding the coding pattern contained in the determined data area.

Abstract: A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image; and a micro-controller provided on a wafer substrate, the micro-controller integrating on the same wafer substrate as a system-on-chip device, a plurality of processing units and an image sensor interface for effecting data communication between the image sensor the plurality of processing units.

Abstract: A handheld digital camera device including: a digital camera unit having a first image sensor for capturing images and a color display for displaying captured images to a user; an integral processor configured for: controlling operation of the first image sensor and color display; decoding an imaged coding pattern printed on a substrate, the printed coding pattern employing Reed-Solomon encoding; and performing an action in the handheld digital camera device based on the decoded coding pattern. The decoding includes the steps of: detecting target structures defining an extent of a data area; determining the data area using the detected target structures; and Reed-Solomon decoding the coding pattern contained in the determined data area.

Abstract: A method of displaying hyperlinked information using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data; retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data including a hyperlink associated with the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data and including the hyperlink; interacting with the displayed hyperlink; retrieving hyperlinked information; and displaying the hyperlinked information. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.

Abstract: A controller arrangement for an optical sensing pen having a nib, the controller arrangement configured to operatively sense location data by sensing location tags on a page of printed media, and to calculate a nib-to-tag distance indicative of the location data. The controller arrangement includes an infrared (IR) illumination LED and image sensor assembly configured to transmit IR light onto, and receive IR light reflected from, respectively, the page of printed media. The arrangement also includes a force sensing infrared LED and photodiode assembly configured to detect when the nib contacts the page so that the sensor assembly is only activated when the nib is in contact with said page.

Abstract: A method of revealing hidden content associated with printed content using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data; retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data including the hidden content associated with the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data and including the hidden content. The opaque display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content. The opaque display screen additionally displays the hidden content in real-time as if it were printed on the printed substrate.

Abstract: A method of interacting with printed content using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data, retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data corresponding to the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data; and interacting with the display information via the opaque touch-sensitive display screen. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.

Abstract: A method of controlling audio playback using a handheld display device having a touch-sensitive screen and a transceiver for sending and receiving digital information. The method comprises the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an optical sensor, the printed substrate containing printed content associated with audio; determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; retrieving audio data associated with said printed content; displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, display information identifying the audio together with a static element for controlling audio playback; and controlling audio playback by interacting with the static element via the touch-sensitive screen.

Abstract: A fluid sensor for detecting fluid in a chamber, has a MEMS sensing element of conductive material with a resistance that is a function of temperature, and electrical contacts for connection to an electrical power source for heating the sensing element with an electrical signal, so that control circuitry can measure the current passing through the sensing element during heating of the sensing element; and determine the temperature of the sensing element from the known applied voltage, the measured current and the known relationship between the current, resistance and temperature. As the temperature of the element will be greater if it is in the presence of gas rather than liquid, the sensor determines if there is liquid or gas in the chamber. This is particularly useful to detect if the chambers of an inkjet printhead are primed with ink.

Abstract: A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image; a processor for processing the sensed image; a multi-core processing unit provided in the processor, the multi-core processing unit having a plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch; and an image sensor interface for converting signals from the image sensor to a format readable by the multi-core processing unit, the image sensor interface sharing a wafer substrate with the processor. A transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the plurality of processing units is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate.

Abstract: A quad-core processor for a hand held device with a CMOS image sensor to capture a scene. The quad-core processor has an image sensor interface for receiving data from the CMOS image sensor and four processing units for simultaneously processing the data. The image sensor and the four processing units being incorporated onto a single chip and the processing units are configured to detect faces within the scene.

Abstract: A quad-core processor for use in a hand-held device with a CMOS image sensor. The quad-core processor has an image sensor interface for receiving data from the CMOS image sensor and four processing units interconnected with each other for parallel processing of data from the image sensor interface. The four processing units and the image sensor interface are integrated onto a single chip.

Abstract: A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image; a processor for processing the sensed image; a plurality of processing units provided in the processor, the plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch to form a multi-core processing unit for the processor; and an image sensor interface for converting signals from the image sensor to a format readable by the plurality of processing units, the image sensor interface sharing a wafer substrate with the processor. A transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the plurality of processing units is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate.

Abstract: A hand held electronic device that has a camera with a CMOS image sensor and a central processor integrated onto a single chip. The central processor having multiple processing units and an image sensor interface. The multiple processing units are configured for operating in parallel and the image sensor interface is configured for receiving data from the CMOS image sensor for simultaneous processing in the multiple processing units.

Abstract: A hand-held apparatus is provided having a digital camera, a display, a miniature keyboard, a network interface, and four interconnected processing units arranged to jointly run programs for the operation of the digital camera, display, miniature keyboard, and network interface.