Television – Combined with diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-20
2001-11-27
Kelley, Chris (Department: 2612)
Television
Combined with diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323912
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic cameras which include microfluidic printers that produce scented prints.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the prior art to provide an electronic camera which uses an area image sensor. Digital images produced from the image sensor are stored in memory and these images can be shown on a display so that the user can determine which image should be stored for use in producing hard copy images. Typically, these images can be stored in a magnetic disk or a compact PCMCIA Memory Card.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,301 an electronic camera is disclosed which includes a display device. The camera also includes a digital-to-analog converter which sends signals to the display. Also, the digital-to-analog converter selectively sends these images to a magnetic tape for storage. Images on the magnetic tape can then be produced as a hard copy by a printer which is provided on the camera. A problem with the approach in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,301 is approach is that a print must be made in order for a user to determine whether it is satisfactory.
A shortcoming with prior electronic cameras is that the printer is spaced from the camera and must be electrically coupled to digital storage structure within the camera which frequently produces artifacts. Another shortcoming in the prior art is that a typical print only appeals to one sense, that of sight. Memory is more effectively recalled when a plurality of senses are engaged. Scents can often trigger a favorable response in a user viewing a print and, moreover, can help the user to recall the particular time or location of the print.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide an electronic camera with an integrated compact, low powered multimode printer which rapidly prints high quality continuous tone images and forming such images with desired scents.
This objects is achieved in an electronic camera responsive to a digital image stored in such camera and having a microfluidic printer for printing images onto a receiver to form continuous tone color pixels corresponding to the stored digital image, the improvement comprising:
a) means for focusing an image of a subject at an image plane;
b) area image sensor means disposed at the image plane for receiving the image subject and producing a digital image representing the subject;
c) storage means coupled to the area image sensor for storing the digitized image of the subject;
d) the microfluidic printer including a plurality of colorant reservoirs including reservoirs for containing cyan, magenta, and yellow colorants, respectively, and a plurality of colorant delivery chambers, the microlluidic printer further including;
i) a fourth reservoir containing a colorant modifying fluid wherein the colorant modifying fluid includes a particular scent;
e) selectable mode control means responsive to the digital image for causing colorants to be delivered from colorant reservoirs to selected colorant delivery chambers in the correct amount and for delivering the colorant modifying fluid containing the particular scent from the fourth reservoir to selected delivery chambers; and
f) means for causing the transfer of the colorants with the selected colorant modifying fluid in the delivery chamber to the receiver to form a continuous tone color image having the desired scent.
Advantages
An electronic camera with a microfluidic printer, in accordance with the present invention provides not only visually pleasing continuous tone images, but also causes a desired scent to be incorporated into such images.
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Eastman Kodak Company
Kelley Chris
Owens Raymond L.
Shaw Stephen H.
White Mitchell
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