NORMALIZED PRINT USAGE DETERMINATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20200133199A1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TOWE, Brad W., LAWRENCE, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US16/173,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20200133199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/03 driven, e.g. feed rollers separate from platen
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/42 Scales and indicators, e.g. for determining side margins
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/08 using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage

Abstract

A system and method for generating a normalized page count for a printer includes an encoder that is coupled to the registration motor of the registration rollers. A memory stores an encoder count that is updated as encoder data is received from the encoder. A processor determines the normalized page count from the encoder count stored in memory. The normalized page count substantially reflects the equivalent number of standard pages printed by the printer. The normalized page count is stored as the page count for the printer.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a registration motor configured to rotate registration rollers of an associated print engine;

an encoder coupled to the registration motor and configured to generate encoder data corresponding to rotation of a shaft of the registration motor;

a memory configured to store an encoder count data based on the encoder data; and

a processor configured to generate a normalized page count based at least in part on the encoder count data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to update in the memory an encoder count based on the received encoder count data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to generate the normalized page count from the encoder count.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encoder is disposed on a shaft of the registration motor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the encoder data correlates with a number of revolutions of the shaft of the registration motor.

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9. A multifunction printer, comprising:

an intelligent controller comprising a processor and associated memory;

a print engine operable to perform a print operation in accordance with instructions from the intelligent controller; and

an encoder coupled to a registration motor of the print engine, the encoder configured to generate encoder data corresponding to rotation of the registration motor during the print operation,

wherein the processor is configured to

receive the encoder data from the encoder, and

determine a normalized page count based at least in part on the encoder data.

10. The multifunction printer of claim 9, wherein the encoder is disposed on a shaft of the registration motor.

12. The multifunction printer of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to update, in the memory, an encoder count based on the received encoder count data.

13. The multifunction printer of claim 12, wherein the processor determines the normalized page count from the encoder count.

15. The multifunction printer of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to store, in the memory, the normalized page count as the actual page count for the multifunction printer.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, by an encoder disposed on a shaft of a registration motor associated with the registration rollers, the encoder data,

wherein the encoder data correlates with the number of revolutions of a shaft of the registration motor.

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