PRINTER AND METHOD THEREFOR ADAPTED TO SENSE DATA UNIQUELY ASSOCIATED WITH A CONSUMABLE LOADED INTO THE PRINTER

• US 20020015066A1
• Filed: 06/16/1999
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: TREDWELL, TIMOTHY J., SIWINSKI, MICHAEL J., ROBINSON, SCOTT C., SPURR, ROBERT W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,938,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

An inkjet printer adapted to sense type of supplied consumable receiver media, inks, printhead, and cleaning fluid. A transponder attached to a consumable is coupled to a memory device capable of storing information characteristic of the consumable. A transceiver is disposed within the inkjet printer, with antennae disposed for polling an individual transponder attached to each consumable. The transponder is capable of receiving a first RF frequency electromagnetic field from the transceiver and deriving power and address information from the first frequency, then generating a second RF frequency electromagnetic field in response, where the second electromagnetic field is characteristic of the data stored in memory. As instructed by a machine control logic processor, the transceiver can both read manufacturing data from the transponder about the consumable and write usage and processing data to the transponder for storage in memory. The transponder can also be coupled with a transducer for taking measurements from the consumable.

Claims

1. A printer adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a consumable to be loaded into the printer, comprising:

(a) a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;

(b) a transponder coupled to said consumable, said transponder adapted to receive the first electromagnetic field and generate a second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby; and

(c) a memory coupled to said transponder, said memory having the data stored therein uniquely associated with the consumable, whereby the second electromagnetic field carries the data stored in said memory while the second electromagnetic field is generated, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in said memory.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein said transceiver transmits the first electromagnetic field at a predetermined first radio frequency.

3. The printer of claim 2, wherein said transponder transmits the second electromagnetic field at a predetermined second radio frequency.

4. The printer of claim 1, wherein said transponder is coupled to an ink consumable.

5. The printer of claim 1, wherein said transponder is coupled to a receiver media consumable.

6. The printer of claim 1, wherein said transponder is coupled to a cleaning fluid consumable.

7. The printer of claim 1, wherein said transponder is coupled to a print head consumable.

8. A printer adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a printer consumable to be loaded into the printer, comprising:

(a) a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;

(b) a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable; and

(c) a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable, each of said first and second memories having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable, so that a selected one of either of said transponders is capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field and generating a second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being sensed by said transceiver and characteristic of the data stored in said memory, the data being associated with said selected transponder generating the second electromagnetic field.

9. The printer of claim 8, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a receiver media consumable and wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable.

10. The printer of claim 8, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable and wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable.

11. The printer of claim 8, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

12. The printer of claim 8, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a print head consumable and wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

13. The printer of claim 8, further comprising a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable, said third memory having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable.

14. The printer of claim 13, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a receiver media consumable, wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is a print head consumable and wherein said third memory is coupled to a third consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

15. The printer of claim 13, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein said third memory is coupled to a third consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

16. The printer of claim 13, wherein the first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein the second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein the third memory is coupled to a third consumable that is a receiver media consumable.

17. The printer of claim 8, further comprising a fourth transponder including a fourth memory coupled to a fourth consumable, said fourth memory having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable.

18. The printer of claim 17, wherein said first memory is coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein said second memory is coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable, wherein said third memory is coupled to a third consumable that is a receiver media consumable and wherein said fourth memory is coupled to a fourth consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein step of providing a transceiver comprises the step of providing a transceiver that transmits the first electromagnetic field at a predetermined first radio frequency.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of coupling a transponder to the consumable comprises the step of coupling a transponder that transmits the second electromagnetic field at a predetermined second radio frequency.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of coupling a transponder to the consumable comprises the step of coupling a transponder to an ink consumable.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of coupling a transponder to the consumable comprises the step of coupling a transponder to a receiver media consumable.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of coupling a transponder to the consumable comprises the step of coupling a transponder to a cleaning fluid consumable.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of coupling a transponder to the consumable comprises the step of coupling a transponder to a print head consumable.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a receiver media consumable and wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable and wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is cleaning fluid consumable.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a print head consumable and wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of coupling a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable, the third memory having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a receiver media consumable, wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is a print head consumable and wherein the step of providing a third transponder comprises the step of providing a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein the step of providing a third transponder comprises the step of providing a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable and wherein the step of providing a third transponder comprises the step of providing a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable that is a receiver media consumable.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of providing a fourth transponder including a fourth memory coupled to a fourth consumable, the fourth memory having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of providing a first transponder comprises the step of providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable that is a printhead consumable, wherein the step of providing a second transponder comprises the step of providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable that is an ink consumable, wherein the step of providing a third transponder comprises the step of providing a third transponder including a third memory coupled to a third consumable that is a receiver media consumable and wherein the step of providing a fourth transponder comprises the step of providing a fourth consumable including a fourth memory coupled to a fourth consumable that is a cleaning fluid consumable.

19. A method adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a consumable to be loaded therein into a printer, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;

(b) coupling a transponder to the consumable, the transponder adapted to receive the first electromagnetic field and generate a second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby; and

(c) coupling a memory to the transponder, the memory having the data stored therein uniquely associated with the consumable, whereby the second electromagnetic field carries the data stored in the memory while the second electromagnetic field is generated, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in the memory.

26. A method adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a printer consumable to be loaded into a printer, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;

(b) providing a first transponder including a first memory coupled to a first consumable; and

(c) providing a second transponder including a second memory coupled to a second consumable, each of the first and second memories having data stored therein indicative of type of consumable, so that a selected one of either of the transponders is capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field and generating a second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being sensed by the transceiver and characteristic of the data stored in the memory, the data being associated with the selected transponder generating the second electromagnetic field.