Abstract: A telephone is provided having an input at which a print medium is loaded, a sensor for sensing an identifier of the loaded print medium, and a printer for determining whether or not the loaded print medium is a valid print medium on which printing can be performed. If the loaded print medium is determined to be valid, the printer prints on the loaded print medium. If the loaded print medium is determined to not be valid, the loaded print medium is ejected at the input.

Abstract: A method of recording and playing back audio using a handheld electronic pen. The method includes the steps of method comprising the steps of: recording audio via a microphone whilst interacting with an encoded substrate using the pen; and playing back the recorded audio by subsequently interacting with the encoded substrate and retrieving the recorded audio which is associated with the identity of the substrate and a position on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of sending a message using a print medium is disclosed. Coded data on a surface of the business card is sensed by a sensor module in a media feed path of a communications device. The coded data encodes an identifier which uniquely identifies the surface. The identifier is determined from sensed coded data, and a representation of the business card is retrieved using the identifier. The representation of the business card is displayed on display of the communications device, with the representation including fields, with one of the fields being a messaging field. Upon receiving a selection of the messaging field, a communications address is retrieved from a database where the communications address is indexed by the identifier. A message editor is opened in the communications device, with a current message being addressed to the communications address.

Abstract: A handheld camera comprises a housing containing an image sensor for generating image data; an audio sensor for generating audio data; a processor for generating coded data using the audio data and a pagewidth inkjet printhead. The printhead is configured for printing the image onto a face of a substrate using the image data and at the same time printing the coded data onto the same face of the substrate in the same area as the image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an online method for associating an image with an indicator. The method involves a computer system storing a captured image in the clipboard of a server. The computer system determines the selection of an association operator from a number of association operators of a printed toolbar made with a selection tool. The computer system further determines the selection of an indicator on a printed page made with the selection tool and associates the captured image in the clipboard with the selected indicator in accordance with the selected association operator.

Abstract: An image processor for a camera module having an image sensor that captures an image for transfer to a printer module of a compact printer system including a capture unit that captures the image from the image sensor and transforms it to planarized linear RGB form. The image processor also includes one or more interface units communicating with components of said camera module under control of the central processing unit and image processing units, being an application specific integrated circuits, in communication with said image storage memory to transform said image for transmission. A Serial Bus interface communicates with the Serial Bus of a compact printer system to transfer data and power between modules. In one application, the camera module captures an image, which is transferred to the image storage memory of a printer module for printing by a printhead.

Abstract: A printhead having at least first and second rows of print nozzles. Each nozzle has first circuitry of a first type arranged asymmetrically to second circuitry of a second type. The respective positions of the first and second circuitry of each nozzle of the first row are arranged mirrored with respect to the first and second circuitry of each nozzle of the second row.

Abstract: Provided is a mobile phone handset which includes a front cover moulding with user interface buttons and a display. A chassis moulding houses telecommunication components in connection with the buttons and display. The chassis moulding has a cradle and a drive mechanism, as well as a print cartridge operatively received in the cradle. The cartridge has a printhead and an ink storage and distribution assembly. The handset also includes a rear cover molding defining an inlet and an outlet slot. The drive mechanism is configured to feed print media from the inlet slot to the outlet slot past the print cartridge for printing on the media.

Abstract: A method of modulating a peak power requirement of a modular printhead is provided. Each module of the printhead has respective segments of each of a plurality of rows of inkjet nozzles so that each nozzle row is comprised in a respective color channel. In the method each of the modules fires a respective segment within a predetermined segment-time such that at least one of the fired segments is contained in a different color channel from at least one of the other fired segments.

Abstract: Provided is a pen-shaped modular camera assembly having a plurality of modules each with at least one connector to link the modules together. The assembly includes a camera module having an image sensor for capturing an image in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space. Also included is a central processing module arranged in communication with the camera module, the central processing module having a central processing unit with program memory for storing program steps for execution by the central processing unit to operate the camera module, along with image storage memory for storing the captured image. The assembly also includes an image processing module arranged in communication with the image storage memory, the image processing module configured to dynamically convert the stored image from a L*a*b* color space to a CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) color space. Also included is a battery module configured so that electrical energy is supplied to the respective modules via the at least one connector.

Abstract: A printer controller for supplying dot data to an inkjet printhead is provided. The printhead comprises a plurality of transversely aligned color channels. Each color channel comprises at least one nozzle row extending longitudinally along the printhead with each nozzle in a color channel ejecting the same colored ink. The printhead is comprised of a plurality of printhead modules with each printhead module comprising a respective segment of each nozzle row. The printer controller is programmed to supply dot data such that each of the printhead modules fires a respective segment within a predetermined segment-time, wherein at least one of the fired segments is contained in a different color channel from at least one other of the fired segments.

Abstract: A surface having an optically readable pattern of dots printed thereon. Each tag has a background pattern defining discrete areas. The background pattern is common to all tags. Each tag further has coded data positioned within the discrete areas. The coded data is represented by a plurality of optically readable marks positioned according to an encoding scheme. The background pattern is also distinguishable from the coded data.

Abstract: A mobile telecommunications device for printing a webpage and retrieving content via a printed webpage. The device includes a media feed for receiving an encoded print medium; a printer positioned in the media feed path; an optical encoder for reading a linear pattern on the print medium during printing; a processor configured for determining a print media identifier by decoding the read linear pattern; a transceiver for communicating the print media identifier to a computer system; and a sensor module for sensing a two-dimensional pattern on the print medium.

Abstract: A mobile device for printing onto a print medium in a print direction, the print medium including first coded data that encodes first information, mobile device comprising: a first sensor for sensing the first coded data; processing means for decoding the coded data and extracting at least the first information; and a printhead for printing onto the print medium, wherein the printhead is controlled to print onto the print medium at least partially on the basis of the extracted first information, and printing commences prior to all of the first information being extracted.

Abstract: An audio reader device for reading printed infrared media includes a linear sensor device sensitive to infra-red. A processor is operatively connected to the sensor device and is configured to read and decode infra-red audio data on the media. A memory is operatively connected to the processor for storing the audio data. A sound processing integrated circuit and speaker arrangement is operatively connected to the memory for playback of the audio data. A roller arrangement feeds the media past the linear sensor device.

Abstract: A method of generating halftone print data for overlapping end portions of a pair of consecutive printhead segments in an array of two or more printhead segments is disclosed. Generally an end portion of a first printhead segment overlaps an end portion of a second printhead segment, in which each printhead segment includes a plurality of ink ejection nozzles. The method includes generating a dither value from a dither matrix, and then combining the dither value with an overlap signal, which represents an extent of overlap of the end portions, to produce an output value. A mathematical operation is then performed on continuous tone print data using a comparator, based on the output value, to produce the half tone data.

Abstract: A camera unit includes a display for displaying an image to be captured; an image sensor for digitally capturing the displayed image; a card reader having a linear scanner for scanning a surface of a removable card to sense a plurality of dots printed on the surface of the removable card, the plurality of dots representing a bit pattern encoding a program script; a card interface for receiving a signal from the card reader indicative of the sensed plurality of dots printed on the surface of the card, and decoding the sensed plurality of dots into the program script; and a printer configured to print a distorted image on print media, the distorted image being a version of the captured image distorted in accordance with the program script.

Abstract: Provided is a pen-shaped modular camera assembly. The assembly includes a camera module having an image sensor for capturing an image in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space. The assembly also includes a central processing module arranged in communication with the camera module. The central processing module includes a central processor that includes a RISC processor core and a memory for storing operating instructions to operate the camera module and image data for manipulation by the processor core. The assembly also includes an effects module having a choose actuator which enables a user to choose between a number of different types of effects to be applied to a stored image; a select actuator which enables the user to select one of the effects, and an apply actuator which enables the user to apply the effect to the stored image.

Abstract: A multi-module device having first and second modules is disclosed. The first and second modules communicate through a serial bus. The first module has a memory for storing image data in a RGB format and a processing unit for converting the image data from the RGB format to a L*a*b* format, before outputting image data in the L*a*b* format through the serial bus. The second module receives the image data in the L*a*b* format, converts the image data to a CMY format and prints the image data in the CMY format.

Abstract: A method of storing data on a photograph includes delimiting a plurality of data block regions on the photograph, the plurality of data block regions superposing a region of the photograph delimited for the printing of a photographic image; compressing data representing the image contained in the photograph with a compression technique; redundantly encoding the compressed data using Reed-Solomon encoding techniques; shuffling the redundantly encoded compressed data in a deterministic manner to reduce potential effects of localized encoded data caused by damage to the photograph; and printing the shuffled data as dots within the data block regions on the photograph. The printing of the shuffled data is performed simultaneously with a printing of the image of the photograph.