Method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit

• US 20060140647A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Adkins, Christopher A., Strunk, Timothy L., Peterson, Douglas K. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1892 for presence detection, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1823 Cartridges having electronically readable memory

Abstract

A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit includes determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by the cartridge; determining whether the cartridge was previously installed in the imaging apparatus; and determining that the cartridge is potentially counterfeit if the usage threshold has been reached and the cartridge was not previously installed in the imaging apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit, comprising:

determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by said cartridge;

determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus is determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus prior to said cartridge reaching said usage threshold; and

said determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus is determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus prior to said cartridge reaching said usage threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if it is determined that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit, further comprising notifying a user of said imaging apparatus that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an authentication of said cartridge; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said authentication fails.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said usage threshold is one of a plurality of usage thresholds corresponding to a plurality of usages of said cartridge, the method further comprising:

performing an authentication of a second or subsequent usage of said plurality of usages of said cartridge; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said authentication of said second or subsequent usage fails.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus includes determining if a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in a memory accessible by one of said imaging apparatus and a host computer communicatively coupled with said imaging apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said memory is a memory of said imaging apparatus.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said memory is a memory of said host computer.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining if said cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory includes:

reading said cartridge identification number from a cartridge memory associated with said cartridge;

comparing said cartridge identification number to a previous cartridge list stored in said memory of said imaging apparatus; and

determining that said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus if said cartridge identification number is not on said previous cartridge list.

10. A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is counterfeit, comprising determining whether a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is on a counterfeit list.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that said cartridge is counterfeit if said cartridge identification number is on said counterfeit list.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein if it is determined that said cartridge is counterfeit, further comprising notifying a user of said imaging apparatus that said cartridge is counterfeit.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing an authentication of said counterfeit list.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said counterfeit list is a first counterfeit list, further comprising:

receiving a second counterfeit list intended as a replacement for said first counterfeit list and a corresponding second version number; and

performing an authentication of said second counterfeit list.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating said first version number to generate said second version number.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that said second counterfeit list is invalid if said authentication fails.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein if said authentication fails, further comprising requesting a user to obtain a replacement counterfeit list.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein if said authentication does not fail, further comprising determining that said cartridge is counterfeit if said cartridge identification number is on said second counterfeit list.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that said second counterfeit list is invalid if said second version number is older than said first version number.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating said counterfeit list when one of said imaging apparatus and a host computer communicatively coupled with said imaging apparatus contacts via a network a server associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a distributor, and a retailer of at least one of said imaging apparatus and said cartridge.

21. An imaging apparatus that detects whether a cartridge installed in said imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit, comprising:

a print engine configured to mount said cartridge; and

a controller communicatively coupled to said print engine, said controller being configured to execute instructions for;

determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by said cartridge;

determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus.

22. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

said determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus is determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in

said imaging apparatus prior to said cartridge reaching said usage threshold; and

said determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus is determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus prior to said cartridge reaching said usage threshold.

23. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, wherein if it is determined that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for notifying a user of said imaging apparatus that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit.

24. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for:

performing an authentication of said cartridge; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said authentication fails.

25. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, wherein said usage threshold is one of a plurality of usage thresholds corresponding to a plurality of usages of said cartridge, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for:

performing an authentication of a second or subsequent usage of said plurality of usages of said cartridge; and

determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said authentication of said second or subsequent usage fails.

26. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a memory, wherein said determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus includes determining if a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory.

28. The imaging apparatus of claim 21, said imaging apparatus communicatively coupled with a host computer having access to a memory, wherein said determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus includes determining if a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory.

27. The method of imaging apparatus 26, wherein said determining if said cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory includes:

reading said cartridge identification number from a cartridge memory associated with said cartridge;

comparing said cartridge identification number to a previous cartridge list stored in said memory of said imaging apparatus; and

determining that said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus if said cartridge identification number is not on said previous cartridge list.

29. The method of imaging apparatus 28, further comprising a previous cartridge list stored in said memory, wherein said determining if said cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory includes:

reading said cartridge identification number from a cartridge memory associated with said cartridge;

comparing said cartridge identification number to a previous cartridge list stored in said memory of said imaging apparatus; and

determining that said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus if said cartridge identification number is not on said previous cartridge list.

30. An imaging apparatus that detects whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is counterfeit, comprising:

a print engine configured to mount said cartridge; and

a controller communicatively coupled to said print engine, said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining whether a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is on a counterfeit list.

31. The imaging apparatus of claim 30, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining that said cartridge is counterfeit if said cartridge identification number is on said counterfeit list.

32. The imaging apparatus of claim 30, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for notifying a user of said imaging apparatus that said cartridge is counterfeit if it is determined that said cartridge is counterfeit.

33. The imaging apparatus of claim 30, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for performing an authentication of said counterfeit list.

34. The imaging apparatus of claim 30, wherein said counterfeit list is a first counterfeit list having a first version number, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for:

receiving a second counterfeit list intended as a replacement for said first counterfeit list and a corresponding second version number into said memory; and

performing an authentication of said second counterfeit list.

35. The imaging apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for updating said first version number to generate said second version number.

36. The imaging apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining that said second counterfeit list is invalid if said authentication fails.

37. The imaging apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for requesting a user to obtain a replacement counterfeit list if said authentication fails.

38. The imaging apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining that said cartridge is counterfeit if said cartridge identification number is on said second counterfeit list.

39. The imaging apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining that said second counterfeit list is invalid if said second version number is older than said first version number.

40. The imaging apparatus of claim 30, further comprising said controller being configured to execute instructions for updating said counterfeit list when one of said imaging apparatus and a host computer communicatively coupled with said imaging apparatus contacts via a network a server associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a distributor, and a retailer of at least one of said imaging apparatus and said cartridge.