Image forming device consumable monitoring methods, consumable monitoring systems and image forming devices

• US 20030035129A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Heusinkveld, Rigby Jacobs, Phillips, Quintin T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers

Abstract

Image forming device consumable monitoring methods, consumable monitoring systems and image forming devices are described. According to one aspect, an image forming device consumable monitoring method includes storing information regarding a plurality of consumables usable by an image forming device to form hard images, wherein the stored information for an individual one of the consumables includes a stored consumable identifier which identifies the respective consumable and a stored party identifier utilized to identify a proper party of the respective consumable; receiving information regarding a consumable to be verified including a received consumable identifier which identifies the consumable to be verified and a received party identifier utilized to identify the proper party associated with the consumable to be verified; comparing the received consumable identifier with at least one of the stored consumable identifiers; and comparing the received party identifier with at least one of the stored party identifiers.

Claims

1. An image forming device consumable monitoring method comprising:

storing information regarding a plurality of consumables usable by an image forming device to form hard images, wherein the stored information for an individual one of the consumables includes a stored consumable identifier which identifies the respective consumable and a stored party identifier utilized to identify a proper party of the respective consumable;

receiving information regarding a consumable to be verified including a received consumable identifier which identifies the consumable to be verified and a received party identifier utilized to identify the proper party associated with the consumable to be verified;

comparing the received consumable identifier with at least one of the stored consumable identifiers; and

comparing the received party identifier with at least one of the stored party identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding a message to the proper party of the respective consumable responsive to the comparings.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding a command to an image forming device coupled with the consumable to be verified to disable at least one operation of the image forming device coupled with the consumable to be verified responsive to the comparings.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding a warning message to an image forming device coupled with the consumable to be verified responsive to the comparings.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording the received consumable identifier, the received party identifier, and date and time information regarding the reception of the received information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the received party identifier comprises receiving a received device identifier which identifies the image forming device which communicated the information and wherein the storing comprises storing the stored party identifier comprising at least one stored device identifier which identifies an image forming device associated with the proper party for the respective consumable and wherein the comparing the received party identifier comprises comparing the received device identifier with the stored device identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the storing the stored party identifier comprises storing a plurality of stored device identifiers and the comparing the received party identifier comprises comparing the received device identifier with the plurality of stored device identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the received party identifier comprises receiving the received party identifier which directly identifies the proper party of the respective consumable.

9. A consumable monitoring system comprising:

a database configured to store information regarding a plurality of consumables usable by an image forming device to form hard images, wherein the stored information for an individual one of the consumables includes a stored consumable identifier which identifies the respective consumable, and a stored party identifier utilized to identify a proper party associated with the respective consumable;

an interface adapted to receive information regarding a consumable to be verified including a received consumable identifier which identifies the consumable to be verified and a received party identifier utilized to identify the proper party associated with the consumable to be verified; and

processing circuitry configured to compare the received consumable identifier with the stored consumable identifier and to compare the received party identifier with the stored party identifier.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to forward a message to the proper party associated with the respective consumable responsive to the comparisons.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to forward a command to disable at least one operation of an image forming device coupled with the consumable to be verified responsive to the comparison.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to forward a warning message to an image forming device coupled with the consumable to be verified responsive to the comparison.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a memory device, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to forward the received consumable identifier, the received party identifier, and date and time information regarding the reception of the received consumable identifier and the received party identifier to the memory device for storage.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the interface is adapted to receive the information regarding the consumable to be verified including the received party identifier comprising a received device identifier which identifies the image forming device which communicated the information and wherein the database is configured to store the stored party identifier comprising at least one stored device identifier which identifies an image forming device associated with the proper party for the respective consumable and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to compare the received device identifier with the stored device identifier to compare the received party identifier with the stored party identifier.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the database is configured to store the stored party identifier comprising a plurality of stored device identifiers which identify a plurality of image forming devices associated with the proper party of the respective consumable, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to compare the received device identifier with the stored device identifiers.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the interface is adapted to receive the information regarding the consumable to be verified including the received party identifier which directly identifies the proper party of the respective consumable.

17. An image forming device comprising:

an image engine configured to use a consumable to form a hard image;

processing circuitry coupled with the image engine and configured to formulate an identifier message including a party identifier utilized to identify a party associated with image forming device and an identifier of the consumable, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control communication of the identifier message; and

an interface adapted to communicate externally of the image forming device and to communicate the identifier message.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the interface is adapted to receive a command responsive to the communication of the identifier message, and the processing circuitry is configured to disable at least one operation of the image forming device with respect to formation of hard images responsive to receiving the command.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the interface is adapted to receive a warning message responsive to the communication of the identifier message, and the processing circuitry is configured to control communication of the warning message using the image forming device responsive to receiving the warning message.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to formulate the identifier message including the party identifier which identifies the image forming device.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to formulate the identifier message including the party identifier which directly identifies the party associated with the image forming device.

22. The device of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to detect coupling of the consumable with the image forming device and to control the communication of the identifier message responsive to the detection of the coupling.

23. The device of claim 17 wherein the image engine comprises a print engine.