WO1998008157A2

WO1998008157A2 - Paper drive for portable computer

Info

Publication number: WO1998008157A2
Application number: PCT/NO1997/000206
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jouni Rudvin
Original assignee: Jouni Rudvin A/S
Priority date: 1996-08-19
Filing date: 1997-08-18
Publication date: 1998-02-26
Also published as: NO963454A; NO301675B1; WO1998008157A3; AU4034897A; NO963454D0

Abstract

Supplementary equipment for a portable PC (8), containing a scanner and possibly a printer, complete with paper feed and a paper tray and/or a paper compartment. The unit, which is termed a 'paper drive', is connected to and disconnected from the docking interface (1) of the PC. On its rear side the paper drive preferably has a corresponding interface (2), so that the unit may also be used while the PC (8) is connected to its own docking station (3). The paper drive can be used with a paper tray, a paper compartment or a combination of both - a paper storage compartment (4) for the printer and a tray (5) for the scanner - which is folded down over the PC screen (6) for transport, and is opened and positioned more or less vertically behind the PC screen when in use. The paper path (7) runs from the compartment or tray, down into the main unit and up again behind the PC screen (6). The paper drive utilizes the power supply of the PC, and communicates with the PC (8) via the parallel port or the bus connector in the interface (1).

Description

PAPER DRIVE FOR PORTABLE COMPUTER

The present invention relates to a paper drive for a portable computer (PC).

Portable PCs handle data rapidly and efficiently on all media except paper: Hard disks, diskette drives, CD ROM drives and modems can be accomodated inside the PC - as well as disks and modems in very small PCMCIA cards.

However, for data transfer to or from paper, larger equipment, not as simple in use, is required.

There exist small, portable printers no larger than a PC, but which require a separate power cable and a battery eliminator, as well as a printer-to-PC cable. All this must be unpacked and connected before use. After use, everything must be disconnected and packed before it can be moved. Similar portable scanners and telefax machines also exist.

The printer manufacturer Canon has introduced a PC having a built-in printer, with the paper path along the underside of the computer. This combination has not sold well, probably because one has to carry the printer whether it is needed not: The printer is an integral part of the PC, and cannot be disconnected.

Prior art exists relating to "docking stations" or portable additional cabinets with the same function as "docking stations", see e.g. US patent no. 4,894,792 and UK patent application no. 2,238,916 A. However, these units are designed for connecting the PC to data cards and other supplementary equipment like hard disks, diskette drives, batteries etc. None of them is adapted for connection to a printer or a scanner, and none of them has any form of paper tray or paper compartment.

Some prior art also relates to a PC having a built-in printer, see e.g. WO 91/14221. However, such constructions, compare also the above mentioned Canon solution, are of a quite different character: The printer is integrated in the PC, and cannot be connected and disconnected. Related art can also be found in US patent no. 5,214,574, disclosing a suitcase or similar for a PC and a printer, with the printer placed inside the lid. However, this is a different solution. Further, EP 219,624 discloses a portable printer device, which actually rather should be seen as a typewriter, not a computer. In this publication a pivotable or turnable printout mechanism is indicated.

EP 540,301 mentions a similar portable printer device with a paper guide "in the rear".

From GB 2,276,312 is previously known a portable PC with a printer connected to the rear of the PC. Electrical connections between printer and PC are made by direct attachment to the normal PC connectors in the rear. Hence the printer may receive both control signals and power supply via the PC connectors. In addition, the printer is equipped with a lid which in an upright position may be used as a paper guide, which can be folded down over the printer and the PC, and which during transport may be used for paper storage.

However, GB 2,276,312 is limited to a printer function, and in addition the lid is only a paper support/feeding guide down toward the printer. A need exists for extending the functionality of such a paper handling device, and the present invention is directed exactly toward such a paper drive, with other applications in addition to printing.

Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention a paper drive is provided for a personal computer of portable type (portable PC), comprising a paper compartment, a main unit and connectors for control signals and electric power from the PC, the PC having at its rear a docking interface, the paper drive being directly connectable to the connectors of the PC docking interface through a complementary connector section in its front, so that PC and paper drive constitute a single but separable physical entity. The paper drive of the invention is particularly characterized in that the main unit comprises an integrated printer and scanner with a common paper path and paper exit, but separate paper sources. This is how the first aspect of the invention is defined in the appended patent claim 1 , and preferred embodiments of this aspect appear from the appended dependent patent claims 2-6. In a second aspect of the invention, a paper drive is provided for a personal computer of portable type (portable PC), comprising a paper tray or paper compartment, a main unit and connectors for control signals and electric power from the PC, the PC having in its rear an interface for a docking station, the paper drive being directly connectable to the connectors of the PC docking interface through a complementary connector section at its front, so that PC and paper drive constitute a single but separable physical entity, and in this second aspect the paper drive is characterized in that the main unit comprises a scanner for scanning sheets of paper placed in the paper tray/paper compartment, the scanner being controlled from the PC via a serial or a parallel port in the docking interface, or the connector for the internal PC bus. This is how the second aspect of the invention is defined in the appended patent claim 8. In the following the invention is described in closer detail and with reference to the appended drawings, where fig. 1 shows a PC and a paper drive in accordance with the invention, in an inactive/portable state, fig. 2 shows the same as in fig. 1 , but in an active state and connected to a docking station, and fig. 3 shows the same as in fig. 1 , but with a paper drive embodiment adapted to a "thin" PC.

Almost every modern portable PC can be connected to a docking station or a smaller port replicator. A docking station can usually accomodate data cards and/or other auxiliary equipment, but the main point is the same as that of a port replicator: It is possible to connect and disconnect the PC in a single operation, instead of connecting/disconnecting each individual connector.

When the PC is disconnected from its docking station, this docking interface can by used in another way: Instead of carrying a PC, a printer and a scanner as separate units, the paper drive can be designed so as to connect directly to the docking interface, so that both PC and paper drive may be carried as a single unit - ready for use, without first having to unpack and connect the various parts.

Such a combination will be even better if the paper drive has its paper intake at the rear, with a large cover over not only the paper drive itself, but also over the PC cover - i.e. the back of the PC screen. During transport this cover lies flat over and parallel to the PC cover. When in use, it is tilted back to make room for the PC screen.

In fig. 1 the paper drive and PC are shown in a first embodiment of the invention, in an inactive or transportable state. The PC 8 has its screen/cover 6 folded down, its rear docking interface 1 is connected to the paper drive's main unit 9, and the cover/paper compartment 4 covers them both.

The paper compartment/cover 4 may consist of only a paper tray, into which the paper is put before use. Most small, portable printers use such an open tray. However, the cover may also be an enclosed paper compartment, which protects the paper and thereby also the inside of the paper drive from dust and dirt, and also functions as paper storage during transport. This means that one will not have to insert printing paper after transport and remove it again before transport: The printer can always be ready for use - any time and any where. The cover 4 is even more effective as both a paper compartment and a paper tray, one above the other: A compartment for printer paper and a tray 5 for documents to be scanned, see fig. 2.

The paper drive will not live up to its name until it is able to operate both as a printer and a scanner. Being able to scan as well as print, the drive can be used both for taking out hard copy, scanning paper documents into the PC, and copying documents. When copying, the scanned documents can be stored temporarily on the PC hard disk, before being printed out. This means that the paper drive can be used both as a printer, a scanner, a copying machine and (with the PC modem) a telefax machine, with all the functions available in one compact unit which may be carried along with the PC. It is important for the unit to be as small and light as possible. The necessary scanning and printing hardware is already available within very small dimensions, and the trend towards miniaturization has certainly not stopped yet. The paper feed mechanism in the unit - primarily rollers - is, according to the first aspect of the invention, common to the printer and the scanner. This means that the two functions cannot be used simultaneously, but this is a small price to pay for a significant reduction in weight and size. In fig. 2 the paper drive is shown open for use. The cover 4 has been tilted back to a more or less upright position, then the cover/screen 6 of the PC has been opened. A hinged stabilizing system for the cover 4 is indicated, and this system may also function as a paper guide, at the end of the paper path. The paper path 7 is shown as a dashed line from the paper compartment/cover 4 and from the paper tray 5, through the main unit 9, exiting upward just behind the PC screen 6.

The docking interface 1 at the rear of the PC 8, intended for connecting to a docking station 3, is instead connected to a complementary connector section on the main unit 9. Preferably this main unit 9 has a corresponding connector section 2, which may be connected to a docking station 3.

In the second aspect of the invention, the paper drive comprises a scanner only. The outer design corresponds to what is shown in figs. 1 , 2 and 3, but the cover 4 may comprise only a paper tray 5. The scanner in the paper drive will be adapted to be controlled from the PC via either a serial or a parallel port, or the connector for the internal PC bus.

The connection at the docking interface 1 must be physically strong and rigid, possibly equipped with an extra safeguard in order for the two connected parts 8 and 9 to form an integrated and mechanically rigid unit when connected. Such a safeguard 11 may e.g. be a transverse lid or bar, fitting snugly across the front of the PC when both the paper compartment 4 and the PC screen 6 are closed, so that the paper drive is held in place both at the front and the rear of the PC.

The paper drive does not need a separate power supply. This also contributes to the drive being much lighter than a comparable printer. Most PCs with an external battery eliminator have their power cable attachment at the rear , i.e. as part of the docking station interface. In that case, the power connection may pass through the paper drive, and the drive can "steal" power on the way. For the paper drive to be used on internal PC power, drawing current from the PC battery, small changes to the internal power supply configuration within the PC may be required - possibly including a different type of current connector. The same goes for PCs with a built-in battery eliminator - the paper drive must be able to draw power from the PC.

It is important that the paper drive shall require as few adaptations as possible in the PC itself. The power supply is one of two areas in which such an adaptation may be necessary. Securing the paper tray/ paper compartment is the other: A potential safeguard 11 may be integrated with a lock on the PC screen. Beyond these two areas, there should be no need for adaptations to the PC.

Controlling the paper drive from the PC via the docking interface may be done either through the parallel port - printer cables are usually connected to the PC parallel port - or by using the so-called bus connector. Via this connector the paper drive can connect directly into the internal PC data bus, so that it can be controlled as part of the PC's internal equipment - the hard disk, the diskette drive, and so on.

The paper drive can also be designed to include a port replicator - so that the same docking station interface at the rear of the PC is repeated at the rear of the paper drive, and the connections between the respective connectors are led through the unit. Thereby the paper drive can be used not only while travelling, but also in the office, while the PC is connected to its usual docking station.

Because each PC manufacturer usually has a different docking interface, the invention lends itself to a modular construction. The essential hardware - for printing, scanning and paper feed - may be designed and manufactured by a single manufacturer (or a small number of manufacturers) in economically large numbers. This is then sold to various PC manufacturers for final assembly along with the parts that are different from one brand or model of PC to another: The docking interface connector (at the front as well as the rear of the paper drive), and the design of the cover for the whole unit. This cover must be adapted to the size and shape of the PC. Most PC manufacturers will probably wish to manufacture not only the cover, but the whole outside casing of the paper drive - to make the PC and the paper drive together appear as a single unit in design, texture and colour.

Portable PCs are constantly becoming thinner, particulary the models that do not include a CD-ROM or diskette drive. In some cases the PC will be thinner (lower) than the paper drive's main unit 9 (under the paper compartment), and then the PC/paper drive combination may have a more or less triangular shape, as indicated in fig. 3, where the main unit 9 is slanted on top 10, and the paper compartment 4 follows this slanting angle down to the front of the PC.

Claims

1. Paper drive for a portable type of personal computer (8) (portable PC), comprising a paper compartment (4, 5), a main unit (9) and connectors for control signals and electric power from said PC (8), said PC having at its rear an interface (1) for a docking station (3), said paper drive (4, 9) being directly connectable to the connectors of the PC docking interface (1) through a complementary connector section at its front, so that PC (8) and paper drive (4, 9) constitute a single but separable physical entity, characterized in that the main unit (9) comprises an integrated printer and scanner with a common paper path (7) and paper exit, but separate paper sources (4, 5).

2. Paper drive in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the paper compartment (4, 5) comprises an external surface (5) constituting a tray (5) for sheets of paper to be scanned, as well as a paper room (4) for printer paper, said paper room (4) and tray (5) constituting the separate paper sources for the main unit (9) of the drive.

3. Paper drive in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the paper compartment (4, 5) may be folded down over said PC (8) from an upright active position (fig.2) to a horizontal inactive position (fig.1), serving as a protective cover for transport and storage.

4. Paper drive in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the paper compartment (4, 5) is equipped with an attachment (11) for securing said paper compartment (4, 5) at the front of the PC (8) during transport and storage, said attachment (11) possibly being equipped with a lock.

5. Paper drive in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises a port replicator (2) at the rear to enable connection of the paper drive (4, 9) to a docking station (3) of the same type as those to which the PC can be connected, possibly also comprising a

5 connector for power supply.

6. Paper drive in accordance with one of the previous claims, where said PC (8) is modified for adaptation to such a paper drive (4, 9) by comprising power supply circuitry and a power supply connector to the drive (4, 9) for battery o operation, characterized in that the paper drive (4, 9) on the side facing the PC (8) also comprises a corresponding connector for power supply from the PC battery.

7. Paper drive in accordance with one of the previous claims, s characterized in that it may be controlled from said PC (8) via the internal PC bus connector of said PC, whereby requirements for internal control electronics in the paper drive (4, 9) may be reduced.

8. Paper drive for a portable type of personal computer (8) (portable PC), o comprising a paper tray or paper compartment (4), a main unit (9) and connectors for control signals and electric power from said PC (8), said PC having at its rear an interface (1) for a docking station (3), said paper drive (4, 9) being directly connectable to the connectors of the PC docking interface (1) through a complementary connector section at its front, so that PC (8) and paper drive (4, 9) 5 constitute a single but separable physical entity, characterized in that the main unit (9) comprises a scanner for scanning sheets of paper placed in the paper tray/ paper compartment (4), said scanner being controlled from said PC (8) via a serial or parallel port in the docking interface (1), or the connector for the internal bus of said PC.