Non-volatile memory data integrity validation

• US 20090027439A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bauman, Joseph H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• 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 2215/0697 being an electronically readable memory

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a replaceable printing component for use in a printing system including print mechanism configured to receive the replaceable printing component. The replaceable printing component includes an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for selectively storing information received from the print mechanism, the electrical storage device includes a storage portion containing data associated with the replaceable printing component, and first and second validation fields configured to store error detection codes relatable to the data contained in the storage portion to determine whether the data is valid. Wherein the electrical storage device is configured, prior to a first transfer of data from the print mechanism to the storage portion, to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in the other of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first data transfer.

Claims

1. A replaceable printing component for use in a printing system including print mechanism configured to receive the replaceable printing component, the replaceable printing component comprising:

an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for selectively storing information received from the print mechanism, the electrical storage device including;

a storage portion containing data associated with the replaceable printing component; and

first and second validation fields configured to store error detection codes relatable to the data contained in the storage portion to determine whether the data is valid;

wherein the electrical storage device is configured, prior to a first transfer of data from the print mechanism to the storage portion, to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in the other of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first data transfer.

2. The replaceable printing component of claim 1, wherein prior to a subsequent transfer of data from the print mechanism to the storage portion, the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing data related to the data contained in the storage portion immediately prior to the subsequent transfer of data, an error detection code related to the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the subsequent transfer.

3. The replaceable printing component of claim 1, wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields parity data computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the parity data computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, parity data computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

4. The replaceable printing component of claim 1, wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields a cyclic redundancy check computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the cyclic redundancy check computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, a cyclic redundancy check computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

5. The replaceable printing component of claim 1, wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields a hash sum computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the hash sum computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, a hash sum computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

6. The replaceable printing component of claim 1 wherein the storage portion comprises a plurality of parameter fields associated with the replaceable printing component, and each parameter field of the plurality of parameter fields comprises a plurality of parameter values, the plurality of parameter fields sized in the storage portion in blocks of the parameter values having a preselected size to ensure that each parameter field of the plurality of parameter fields is transferred between the printing system and the storage portion in a single block of parameter values of the blocks of the parameter values.

7. The replaceable printing component of claim 1 wherein the printing system is an ink-jet printing system, the print mechanism is an ink-jet printer, and the replaceable printing component further includes a replaceable ink container containing a quantity of ink, the replaceable ink container providing ink to the print mechanism.

8. A method for transferring data between a printer and a replaceable printing component, the method comprising:

providing a replaceable printing component having an electrical storage device associated therewith, the electrical storage device configured for receiving a first block of data transferred from the printer, the electrical storage device having a storage portion containing data related to the replaceable printing component and two validation fields configured to store error detection codes relatable to the data contained in the storage portion, one validation field containing a first error detection code relatable to the data contained in the storage portion;

computing a second error detection code relatable to data that will be stored in the storage portion after transfer of the first block of data to the electrical storage device;

storing the second error detection code in the one of the two validation fields not containing the first error detection code; and

transferring the first block of data from the printer to the electrical storage device.

9. The method for transferring data of claim 8 further including the steps of:

computing a third error detection code relatable to data that will be stored in the storage portion after transfer of a second block of data from the printer to the electrical storage device;

storing the third error detection code in the one of the two validation fields not containing the second error detection code; and

transferring the second block of data from the printer to the electrical storage device.

10. The method for transferring data of claim 8 wherein upon failure of the step of transferring the first block of data from the printer to the electrical storage device, the method for transferring data includes:

relating the error detection code stored in each validation field to the data contained in the storage portion;

rejecting the replaceable printing component when no validation field contains an error detection code relatable to the data contained in the storage portion; and

accepting the replaceable printing component when at least one validation field contains an error detection code relatable to the data contained in the storage portion.

11. The method for transferring data of claim 8, wherein the first error detection code is first parity data computed from the data contained in the storage portion, and the step of computing the second error detection code comprises computing second parity data from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after transfer of the first block of data to the electrical storage device, and the step of storing the second error detection code comprises storing the second parity data in the one of the two validation fields not containing the first parity data.

12. The method for transferring data of claim 8, wherein the first error detection code is a first cyclic redundancy check computed from the data contained in the storage portion, and the step of computing the second error detection code comprises computing a second cyclic redundancy check computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after transfer of the first block of data to the electrical storage device, and the step of storing the second error detection code comprises storing the second cyclic redundancy check in the one of the two validation fields not containing the first cyclic redundancy check.

13. The method for transferring data of claim 8, wherein the first error detection code is a first hash sum computed from the data contained in the storage portion using a predetermined hash function, and the step of computing the second error detection code comprises using the hash function to compute a second hash sum of the data that will be contained in the storage portion after transfer of the first block of data to the electrical storage device, and the step of storing the second error detection code comprises storing the second hash sum in the one of the two validation fields not containing the first hash sum.

14. A printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media, the printing system comprising:

a print mechanism configured to receive a replaceable printing component, the print mechanism including a control portion for transferring data between the print mechanism and the replaceable printing component; and

a replaceable printing component including an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for selectively storing information received from the print mechanism, the electrical storage device including;

a storage portion containing data associated with the replaceable printing component; and

first and second validation fields configured to store error detection codes relatable to the data contained in the storage portion to determine whether the data is valid;

wherein the electrical storage device is configured, prior to a first transfer of data from the print mechanism to the storage portion, to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in the other of the first and second validation fields an error detection code related to the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first data transfer.

15. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 14, wherein prior to a subsequent transfer of data from the print mechanism to the storage portion, the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing data related to the data contained in the storage portion immediately prior to the subsequent transfer of data, an error detection code related to the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the subsequent transfer.

16. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 14, wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields parity data computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the parity data computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, parity data computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

17. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 14, wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields a cyclic redundancy check computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the cyclic redundancy check computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, a cyclic redundancy check computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

18. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 14 wherein the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store in one of the first and second validation fields a hash sum computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, and the electrical storage device is configured to receive and store, in the one of the first and second validation fields not containing the hash sum computed from the data currently contained in the storage portion, a hash sum computed from the data that will be contained in the storage portion after the first transfer.

19. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 15 wherein the storage portion comprises a plurality of parameter fields associated with the replaceable printing component, and each parameter field of the plurality of parameter fields comprises a plurality of parameter values, the plurality of parameter fields sized in the storage portion in blocks of the parameter values having a preselected size to ensure that each parameter field of the plurality of parameter fields is transferred between the print mechanism and the storage portion in a single block of parameter values of the blocks of the parameter values.

20. The printing system for selectively depositing visible material on print media of claim 14 wherein the print mechanism is an ink-jet printing system, the visible material is ink, and the replaceable printing component further includes a replaceable ink container containing a quantity of ink, the replaceable ink container providing ink to the print mechanism.