Cartridges For Reprographics Devices

• US 20070153078A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ingenia Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Ingenia Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Cowburn, Russell
• Application Number:
  US11/614,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070153078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/133
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/04 Preventing copies being made of an original
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/046 by discriminating a special original, e.g. a bank note
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/18 Cartridge systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/42 Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/144 using a slot moved over the image; using discrete sensing elements at predetermined points; using automatic curve following means
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0461 part of the apparatus being used in common for reading and reproducing simultaneous scanning of the original picture and the reproduced picture with a common scanning device H04N1/207

Abstract

A removable cartridge for a reprographics device, such as a printer, is described. The removable cartridge comprises a signature scanning unit for use in generating a signature based upon an intrinsic characteristic of an article, such as a paper sheet, determined by illuminating the article with a coherent beam. By providing a signature scanning unit in a replaceable cartridge, few or no modifications to the existing designs of various reprographics devices are needed. Additionally, the installation of the signature scanning unit in a reprographics device is made as easy as replacing a standard removable cartridge, such as, for example, an inkjet or toner cartridge. The addition of authorisation/identification functionality to various conventional reprographics devices can also be made by a non-technical user using various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A removable cartridge for a reprographics device, the removable cartridge comprising a signature scanning unit for use in generating a signature based upon an intrinsic characteristic of an article, the signature scanning unit comprising:

a reading volume for receiving an article when the reprographics device is in operation;

a source for generating a coherent beam; and

a detector arrangement for collecting a set comprising groups of data points from signals obtained when the coherent beam scatters from different parts of an article in the reading volume, wherein different ones of the groups of data points relate to scatter from respective different parts of the article.

2. The removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement comprises a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector for detecting a respective signal obtained when the coherent beam scatters from different parts of the article in the reading volume.

3. The removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge further comprises a data acquisition and processing unit for determining a signature of the article based upon an intrinsic property of the article from the set of groups of data points.

4. The removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge comprises a radio transmitter for transmitting information encoding values of the data points to a receiver located externally to the removable cartridge.

5. The removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge is configured to substitute for a removable printer cartridge in a printer.

6. The removable cartridge of claim 5, wherein the removable printer cartridge is an inkjet printer cartridge.

7. The removable cartridge of claim 6, wherein the inkjet printer cartridge is a colour inkjet cartridge.

8. The removable cartridge of claim 5, wherein the removable cartridge is further operable to print on an article when the printer is operated.

9. A reprographics device adapted to operate with the removable cartridge of claim 1.

10. The reprographics device of claim 9, wherein the reprographics device is a printer.

11. A system for identifying an article from a signature based upon an intrinsic characteristic of the article, the system comprising:

a signature determination unit comprising the removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the signature determination unit is operable to determine a signature from the data points generated by operating the signature scanning unit of the removable cartridge; and

a comparison unit operable to compare the determined signature to a stored signature.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the comparison unit is further operable to split the determined signature into blocks of contiguous data and to perform a comparison operation between each block and respective blocks of the stored signature.

15. A computer program product for controlling the operation of the removable cartridge of claim 1, wherein the computer program product comprises code that is executable to control:

activation of the coherent source of the signature scanning unit; and

collection of the set comprising groups of data points by the detector arrangement.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising code that is executable to manage the transfer of the set comprising groups of data points from the cartridge to a processing unit located external to the removable cartridge.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the transfer of the set comprising groups of data points from the cartridge to a processing unit located external to the removable cartridge is made via an interface provided for communicating with the reprographics unit.

13. A method for identifying an article from a signature based upon an intrinsic characteristic of the article, the method comprising:

determining a signature from data points generated by operating a signature scanning unit provided in a removable cartridge of a reprographics device; and

comparing the determined signature to a stored signature.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

splitting the determined signature into blocks of contiguous data; and

performing a comparison operation between each block and respective blocks of the stored signature.