Engineering Investigations
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GSKrasle
They should put two motion-engines and an ink-jet printhead in the mouse, so ...
DaStargzer
It might be good for printing receipts for retail transactions, or somthing ...
What were they thinking: Can a mouse be used for that
Brian Bailey
3/1/2013 11:08 AM EST
OK, so here is an interesting patent that was issued in 2003. Before I give it all away, I want you to think about your mouse – yes, the one connected to your computer, not the one running around the floor. Now think about what other functions you may want to integrate with your mouse. As the music for Jeopardy is playing in your mind – I hope you wrote down – printer! Now this is not from some crazy inventor who just happened to notice that nobody had done this yet – this is from Casio!
Abstract: A mouse device for use as an input device of a computer is provided that includes a housing in which recording paper is loadable, and a printer unit provided within the housing for printing on the recording paper print information received from the computer. The printer unit includes a paper loading section in which the recording paper is loaded, a platen roller for feeding the recording paper loaded in the loading section, a print head for printing on the recording paper fed by the platen roller, and a discharge port through which the recording paper is discharged after printing by the platen roller out of the housing while taking a substantially vertical attitude.
Now, I am intrigued. What is recording paper? Does this distinguish it from paper that somehow cannot be written on. The only clue we get is in claim 9 that states - The mouse device according to claim 1, wherein: said print head comprises a thermal head; and the recording paper comprises heat-sensitive paper that is colored by heat produced by said thermal head.
Maybe this might be more useful as a label maker or something like that but maybe someone already beat them to the Dymo/mouse combination.
Brian Bailey – keeping you entertained
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DU00000001
3/5/2013 1:14 PM EST
How else whould they continue their thermal printer
division ?
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DaStargzer
3/18/2013 9:50 AM EDT
It might be good for printing receipts for retail transactions, or somthing like the receipt our Motor Vehicle Administration prints out telling you what your number in line is. The PA will announce what station to go to when your number comes up. Our MVA, however, has a self-serve touch-screen and printer which prints out the receipt. I didn't look at it carefully enough to see if it was thermal or ribbon; I was just worried about getting through the line as quickly as possible.
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GSKrasle
3/18/2013 4:55 PM EDT
They should put two motion-engines and an ink-jet printhead in the mouse, so that it prints on a sheet of paper like a air-brush.
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