BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rubber stamps have been known for a long time and embody a variety of constructions including a fixed face or a movable face. In the latter the inked rubber surface is moved vertically into contact with the paper or media being stamped. The stamp is normally a fixed message and cannot be altered.

A number of stamps are employed in an office to convey messages, for example,"Faxed" ;"Copy" ; or "Confirmation". This creates considerable inventory as well as a limitation that any different message requires a new stamp to be created and, once created, the new stamp has only one functional purpose.

While rubber stamps are common in office environments there are other types of markers. Stencils are one such type and it is contemplated that the instant invention may be used in place of stencils.

CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application: AP39 AP43 AP44 AP46 AP47 AP48 AP49 AP50 AP51 AP52 AP53 AP55 AP58 AP60 AP61 AP62 AP63 AP64 AP65 AP66 AP67 AP68 AP69 AP70 AP71 AP77 AP78 AP79 The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. Each application is temporarily identified by its file reference. This will be replaced by the corresponding PCT Application Number when available.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS US6,227, 652 US6,213, 588 US6,213, 589 US6,231, 163 US6,247, 795 US6,394, 581 US6,244, 691 US6,257, 704 US6,416, 168 US6,220, 694 US6,257, 705 US6,247, 794 US6,234, 610 US6,247, 793 US6,264, 306 US6,241, 342 US6,247, 792 US6,264, 307 US6,254, 220 US6,234, 611 US6,302, 528 US6,283, 582 US6,239, 821 US6,338, 547 US6,247, 796 US09/113, 122 US6,390, 603 US6,362, 843

US6,293, 653 US6,312, 107 US6,227, 653 US6,234, 609 US6,238, 040 US6,188, 415 US6,227, 654 US6,209, 989 US6,247, 791 US6,336, 710 US6,217, 153 US6,416, 167 US6,243, 113 US6, 283, 581 US6,247, 790 US6,260, 953 US6,267, 469 US6,273, 544 US6,309, 048 US6,420, 196 US6,443, 558 US09/422,892 US6,378, 989 US09/425,420 US09/422, 893 US09/609, 140 US6,409, 323 US6, 281, 912 US09/575, 113 US6,318, 920 US6, 488, 422 US09/693, 644 US6,457, 810 US6,485, 135 US09/112, 763 US6,331, 946 US6,246, 970 US6,442, 525 US09/505,951 US09/505,147 US09/505,952 US09/575,108 US09/575,109 US09/575, 110 US09/607,985 US6,398, 332 US6,394, 573 US09/606,999 US6, 238, 044 US6,425, 661 US6,390, 605 US6,322, 195 US09/504,221 US6,480, 089 US6,460, 778 US6,305, 788 US6,426, 014 US6,364, 453 US6,457, 795 US09/556,219 US09/556,218 US6,315, 399 US6,338, 548 US09/575,190 US6, 328,431 US6,328, 425 US09/575, 127 US6,383, 833 US6,464, 332 US6,390, 591 US09/575,152 US6, 328, 417 US6,322, 194 US09/575,177 US09/575,175 US6,417, 757 US09/608, 780 US6,428, 139 US09/607,498 US09/693,079 US09/693, 135 US6,428, 142 US09/692, 813 US09/693,319 US09/693,311 US6,439, 908 US09/693,735 PCT/AU98/00550 <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> PCT/AU00/00516 PCT/AU00/00517 PCT/AU00/00511 PCT/AU00/00754<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> PCT/AU00/00755 PCT/AU00/00756 PCT/AU00/00757 PCT/AU00/00095 PCT/AU00/00172 PCT/AU00/00338 PCT/AU00/00339 PCT/AU00/00340 PCT/AU00/00341 PCT/AU00/00581 PCT/AU00/00580 PCT/AU00/00582 PCT/AU00/00587 PCT/AU00/00588 PCT/AU00/00589 PCT/AU00/00583 PCT/AU00/00593 PCT/AU00/00590 PCT/AU00/00591 PCT/AU00/00592 PCT/AU00/00584 PCT/AU00/00585 PCT/AU00/00586 PCT/AU00/00749 PCT/AU00/00750 PCT/AU00/00751 PCT/AU00/00752 PCT/AU01/01332 PCT/AU01/01318 PCT/AU00/01513 PCT/AU00/01514 PCT/AU00/01515 PCT/AU00/01516 PCT/AU00/01517 PCT/AU00/01512 PCT/AU01/00502 PCT/AU02/01120 PCT/AU00/00333 PCT/AU01/00141 PCT/AU01/00139 PCT/AU01/00140 PCT/AU00/00753 PCT/AU01/01321 PCT/AU01/01322 PCT/AU01/01323 PCT/AU00/00594 PCT/AU00/00595 PCT/AU00/00596 PCT/AU00/00597 PCT/AU00/00598 PCT/AU00/00741 PCT/AU00/00742 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a programmable marking device for printing indicia on print media by movement of a printing mechanism with respect to the print media while said print

media is substantially stationary, said printing mechanism including a printing means for printing said indicia, storage means for storing in an electronic form information for printing said indicia, means for reading information from said storage means, means for writing information to said storage means, and processor means for processing said information and for controlling said printing means to print said indicia as said printing means is moved with respect to said print media.

By using a compact, movable printhead, a digital stamp can be created which can print a single message or a plurality of separate messages and can be either pre-programmed or programmable. In the latter case, the programmability of the stamp may be done via a link to a computer system, via a separate module that can be attached to the stamp device, or by some other method within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

Preferably, printing only occurs when said housing is in contact with print media.

Preferably, the housing has an aperture through which said printing means can print when said means for moving said printing means is operative with said housing in contact with said print media.

The means for moving the printing means may operate either manually or automatically.

Preferably, the printing means is an inkjet printhead.

Preferably, the printing mechanism includes ink supply means accommodated within said housing, which are modular and may be replaceable.

Print media includes any material suitable for printing thereon such as paper products, fabric, plastics material, metallic film or other film so treated as to allow fixing and/or absorption of the ink employed. In addition, the properties and characteristics of the ink may be adjusted to improve the fixing and/or absorption of the ink with a particular or range of print media.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with respect to the following figures in which: Figure 1 shows a cross sectional schematic of a stamp according to a first embodiment of the invention in a first position; Figure 2 shows a cross sectional schematic of the stamp of Figure 1 in a second, operative position; Figure 3, shows an underneath view of Figure 2; Figure 4, shows an exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 1 illustrating the components thereof; Figure 5 shows an example of use of the stamp of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a cartridge being mated with the body of the stamp of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 shows one embodiment of a cartridge according to the invention for use with the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 8 shows schematically a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 shows schematically a third embodiment of the invention : Figure 10 shows schematically a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 11 shows schematically a fifth embodiment of the invention; and Figures 12 and 13 show schematically two alternative embodiments for positioning the printhead in the aperture of the stamp.

PREFERRED MODES OF PERFORMING THE INVENTION Referring to figure 1, the stamp according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a housing having two parts, an upper part 10 and a lower part 12 with the upper part 10 of the housing moveable with respect to the lower part or base 12 of the housing. Figure 1 shows the stamp with the housing in the inoperative or extended position while figure 2 shows the stamp in its operative mode towards the end of a stamping operation.

Fixed to the outside of the upper housing 10 is a slide 14 which is fixed to a printed circuit board 16 on the inside of the upper housing 10. In the lower housing 12, a printhead 30 is located at one end 32 of an opening 34 in the lower housing 12 and is supplied with ink from ink cartridge 20 via ink connector 19 and tubes 52.

The printed circuit board (PCB) 16 has the necessary solid state memory 15 and processing capabilities to operate the printhead 30 and control other function within the stamp housing, such as detecting the presence or absence of an ink cartridge 20. Solid state memory includes, for example, ROM, PROM, EEPROM or low power consumption RAM such as CMOS, DRAM or SRAM devices.

Slide 14 is used to select what indicia are to be printed as stored in memory 15. The slide 14 may be a potentiometer whose resistance value is interpreted by circuitry on PCB 16 to select a print choice from memory 15, or may be a selector switch which chooses the required print by contacting conductor strips or fingers on PCB 16 which strips are coded for the desired location in memory 15. The selector switch may be a linear slide switch, as shown, or may be a rotary switch.

A battery (not shown) for operating the printhead 30 can be accommodated in or associated with the ink cartridge 20, which is supported on base moulding 22.

The printhead 30 moves across the opening 34 and in doing so prints the selected indicia 24, characteristic of the stamp, for example as illustrated in figure 5, on print media 26. The printhead 30 may be moved by an electrical motor or by various mechanical arrangements or a combination of motor and mechanical linkage.

Typical mechanical arrangements may be rack and pinion, peg and groove or rack and pinion and worm screw.

In the embodiment shown in figure 1, the printhead 30 is moved across the opening 34 by a mechanical mechanism comprising a pair of arms 35 fixed at one end to the top 36 of the printhead 30 by axle 31 and at their other end to a bracket 38 of the upper housing 10 by axle 33. A pair of pulley wheels or bearings 37

fixed to printhead 30 (see Fig. 4) engage in slot 39 to constrain the motion of the printhead 30 to a linear motion across the opening 34. As the upper housing 10 is moved toward the lower housing 12 by manual action the arms 35 move the printhead 30 from left, as shown in figure 1, to the right, as shown in figure 2. At the same time, the printhead 30 is activated to print the indicia required. The printhead 30 is supplied with information and activating signals from the processing circuitry on PCB 16 via the wires 50 and with ink from the ink cartridge 20 via ink connector 19 and tubes 52. A four ink (red, yellow, cyan, black) printhead is illustrated although printheads having from one to six inks can be employed as disclosed in applicant's applications listed in the appendix.

A return spring 42 is fixed between a stationary part 47 of the lower housing 12 and axle 31 on printhead 30 and ensures that the printhead 30 and upper housing 10 will return to their initial starting positions as shown in figure 1, upon release of the pressure from the upper housing 10.

A tambour or shutter 55 covers the opening 34 when the stamp is not in use (see Fig. l). The tambour 55 is attached to the ledge 40 of printhead 30. As the printhead 30 moves across the opening 34 the tambour 55 is moved around the rollers or bearings 51,53 and along the base of the ink cartridge 20. The tambour 55 is shown in its fully retracted state in Figure 2. When spring 42 returns the printhead 30 to its rest position, the tambour 55 is drawn back to cover the opening 34 as shown in figure 1.

A copper arm 56 extends from the lower housing 12 to cover the printhead 30 when in the"home position"as shown in figure 1. In this way the face of the printhead 30 is protected from dirt and damage. The copper arm 56 may further include a sponge or other absorbent material for collecting drips or extraneous ink between runs of the printhead 30. The copper arm 56 may also act as a lever to contact a microswitch (not shown) when the arm 56 is pressed onto print media to activate the circuitry controlling the printing by printhead 30. A pair of rubber feet 37 supports the lower housing 12 and hence printhead 30 away from any support surface or the surface of the print media when printing. Printhead 30 is an inkjet printhead and the thickness of the feet 37 spaces the printhead 30 from the print media without interfering in the operation thereof.

A sensor (not shown) for example, a CCD image sensor, may be provided on the side of the printhead 30 to detect the position of the printhead 30 with respect to the housing to co-ordinate printing by the printhead 30.

Signals from the CCD image sensor are fed to circuitry on PCB (printed circuit board) 16 for processing.

This circuitry controls the operations of the printhead 30. The printhead 30 is a type of electromechanically driven inkjet printhead and the circuitry provides the signals to the respective ink nozzles required to print the message stored in ROM or RAM on the PCB 16.

The ink cartridge 20 is replaceable so that the stamp can be reused once the ink supply has been exhausted. It is also contemplated that a stamp may be used once only and therefore that the ink cartridge 20 is not designed to be replaceable in some forms of the invention.

One embodiment of a replaceable cartridge 20 is shown in Figure 7. It comprises a body 200 having flanges 202 at the front face 204 for grabbing and wedge-shaped cut-outs 206 at the sides 208 for mating with complimentary structures on the inside of the side walls 210 of the lower housing 12. Ink outlets 212, four in number are shown, provide access to separate internal compartments storing each of the four inks. A printed circuit chip 214 is fixed to the rear 216 of the cartridge 20 and is encoded with details of the cartridge 20 such as the features (number, colours) and characteristics (viscosity, use by date) of the ink or inks used so that when inserted into the housing the chip 214 contacts a receiving connector dock 220 (see Figure 6) whereby these details may be read by the processing circuitry on PCB 16. The ink outlets 212 mate with inlet sockets 222 on the ink connector 19. The connector 19 is provided with means for rupturing seals (not shown) in the ink outlets 212 of the cartridge 20 when the cartridge 20 is first installed. For example, the inlets 222 may have sharp metal edges for doing this. The ink cartridge 20 may also include a battery pack with enough energy to operate the printhead 30 for the duration of the ink supply. Alternatively, provision for a battery pack may be provided elsewhere within the housing to fulfil these requirements or to supplement them.

The printhead 30 can be of a type of sufficient size and detail to print across and along the opening 34 but preferably involves an inkjet printhead of a type such as disclosed in the inventor's earlier applications as listed below in the Appendix.

The stamp according to the invention may be operated mechanically, as described above, or may be operated fully electrically, in which case the upper housing need not be made moveable with respect to the base housing but the two housings could be of a fixed configuration.

Other ways of moving the printhead 30 are also contemplated, including using a DC or an AC motor under internal power or through an external power connection. Regulation of the motion of the printhead 30 may be provided by a mechanical governor or by the control circuitry for the motor such as by using a stepper motor or a synchronous AC motor.

As an alternative to the CCD image sensor, positioning of the printhead 30 may be sensed by an optical quadrature wheel.

If the stamp is electrically powered, the power may be provided internally either from a separate battery pack, from a battery integral with the ink cartridge, from a generator or dynamo operated when the upper housing is moved downwardly, as described above, or by an external wired connection, for example a USB (universal serial bas) connection (see Figure 9).

Various embodiments of the stamp are contemplated and four further embodiments thereof are shown in figures 8-11 respectively.

In figure 8, a pre-programmed stamp is shown. A fixed message is, for example, provided in a ROM associated with the circuitry driving the printhead. The message may be displayed on an LCD 60 on the face

of the stamp and may be further programmable by a set of select buttons, keys or toggles 62 which may, for example, present a time or a date to be printed out with the fixed word, message or image.

In figure 9, a programmable stamp is shown which has a connector socket 70, for example a USB (universal serial bus) connector for connecting to a portable or fixed computer which can be used to program or provide input via the USB to the stamp for printing out a message made up via the keyboard or mouse of said portable or fixed computer.

In the embodiment shown in figure 10, a stamp is made with a removable module 80 which can be clipped onto top housing 10 and has a number of selectable printable elements 82 which can be selected by the selection dial 84. For example, the material that may be selected may be character images of a type such as Mickey Mouse, or Simpsons characters. Module 80 may be removed and replaced by a separate module 90 to provide a different selection of characters allowing the stamp to be selectively"programmed". Contacts 86 in the base of a module 80, 90 allow the information for the printing of the selected character (s) to be transferred to the processing circuitry of the stamp housing.

As shown in figure 11, a stamp is provided which has an attached lens 100, view finder 102 and image sensor 104, the latter two for example being a LCD 102 and a charge coupled device (CCD) 104 respectively, making in effect a miniature camera. The CCD 104 can be used to take a picture of a scene using the button 106 while displaying the scene on the viewfmder 102. The image can then be stored and printed out using the printhead 30 in the manner such as disclosed in the applicant's Artcam applications for example as described in US Patent 6,152, 619. The stamp may also be provided with a processor unit that can add other details to the image taken by the CCD 104, for example, the time and date or some text. The stamp may also be provided with a programmable input, such as disclosed with respect to the embodiment of figure 9, whereby, for example, the time and date or the name of the author of the photograph or image may be applied thereto when printed out.

The stamp may be used to replace the prior art rubber stamps used in office environments but may also be used in a variety of other situations, for example, to print a barcode and/or price on a tag or label with the tag or label fixed to the product or separate therefrom. In the latter case, an embodiment such as described with respect to figure 9 may be used whereby the stamp is connected via a connector such as an USB to the inventory computer in a supermarket or retail store which loads the details of a barcode and/or price for printing by the printhead 30. The printhead 30 is, for example, as described in US Patent 6,152, 619 a linear inkjet printhead having from 1 up to 6 colour jets which are arranged in a linear columnar configuration printing a column of dots in each colour as the printhead traverses the aperture in the base of the stamp. The printhead 30 may be positioned in the opening 250 in the base 252 of the stamp to move along either the long axis 254 or the short axis 256 of the opening 250 as shown respectively in Figures 12 and 13. Such printheads may have a resolution of up to 1600 dots per inch allowing the printing of a detailed monochrome or colour strip. In addition, if an infra-red ink is used an invisible watermark or security code may be included with the visible printed matter. The width of the strip will vary depending upon the size of the printhead used but a

print head has a typical width of 5-8mm. A wider printhead can be provided by overlapping more than one such printhead.

The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made to the invention, with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention. For example, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in hardware and/or software in a suitably programmed device, both aspects of which are readily accomplished by those of ordinary skill in the respective arts. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.