INTELLIGENT RIBBON CARTRIDGE

• US 20110176850A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Printronix, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Printronix
• Inventors: Moore, Kevin P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,714,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/207
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 32/00 Ink-ribbon cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/28 Detachable carriers or holders for ink-ribbon mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed disabling devices responsive to ink ribbon breakage or exhaustion

Abstract

In one embodiment, an intelligent printer ribbon cartridge includes a microcontroller that monitors sensors related to the ribbon cartridge for use in a line matrix printer. The ribbon cartridge contains an impact printing ribbon in the form of either a simple loop, a mobius loop, or a long strip of ribbon connected to two spools, with one spool at each end of the cartridge. The ribbon cartridge is able to monitor at least one motion sensor, process the information, and perform a suitable action or communicate an action or information to the printer. This allows the ribbon cartridge to adapt or instruct the printer to adapt with any new types of ribbons, ribbon cartridges, formats, etc. so that the printing may occur with virtually any type of ribbon/cartridge.

Claims

1. A ribbon cartridge, comprising:

a housing;

a ribbon contained in the housing and

a microcontroller on or in the housing configured to receive information about a characteristic of the ribbon from a sensor.

2. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to process the information and control one or more components of the ribbon cartridge.

3. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to communicate the information to a printer controller.

4. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect a printer type and convert the information to a format compatible for the printer type.

5. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor for the ribbon.

6. The ribbon cartridge of claim 5, wherein the sensor is located on or in the housing.

7. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive information about a characteristic of the ribbon from a second sensor.

8. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is a location of a weld on the ribbon.

9. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is a motion of the ribbon.

10. The ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to receive information from a plurality of different ribbon configurations.

11. The ribbon cartridge of claim 10, wherein the ribbon configurations comprise a mobius loop, a cassette-type, and an 8-track type.

12. The ribbon cartridge of claim 3, wherein all communication between the microcontroller and the printer controller is through a single wire.

13. A method of operating a printer system, comprising:

sensing, by a sensor, information about a characteristic of a ribbon in a ribbon cartridge from a plurality of different ribbon configurations;

communicating the information to a microcontroller in or on the ribbon cartridge;

processing, by the microcontroller, the information; and

controlling a component in or on the ribbon cartridge.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensing comprises detecting motion of the ribbon.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensing comprises detecting when a weld on the ribbon is about to pass through a printing area and when the weld passes the printing area.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing comprises converting the information to a format compatible with the printer system.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating the information to a printer controller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communicating is through a single wire.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the ribbon configurations comprise a mobius loop, a cassette-type, and an 8-track type.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the microcontroller processes information from multiple sensors.