Ink jet print head identification circuit with serial out, dynamic shift registers

• US 5,940,095 A
• Filed: 09/27/1995
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Parish, George Keith, Steward, Lawrence Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THINH H
• Application Number:
  US08/534,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 347/19, 347/10, 347/237, 347/14, 347/49, 347/59
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/17 Readable information on the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1036 using data shift registers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/10 Decoders

Abstract

An ink jet print head identification system for providing print head identifying information to the electronics of an ink jet printer includes one or more parallel load, serial out, dynamic shift registers integrated into a print head chip having a plurality of address lines interconnecting the printer electronics and print head electronics. Each shift register is programmed or encoded with a single digital bit. In one embodiment, a voltage pulse (load signal) received on a single chip address line by a plurality of shift registers loads the input of each encoded register with the register'"'"'s own encoded bit. Two of the address lines provide each of the registers with successive sequential clock signals to serially shift the encoded information to an output device where the print head identifying information is read by the printer electronics. Other embodiments of the invention may employ any number of encoded registers independently of the number of available address lines.

Claims

1. An identification system for providing ink jet print head identifying information in ink jet printers having ink jet print heads, comprising:

a controller and drive circuit for transmitting signals including first and second clock signals in the form of clock pulses and for receiving signals;

a plurality of address lines for conducting signals including said first and second clock signals from the controller and drive circuit to the inklet print head;

an identification circuit having a plurality of mask programmed, one-bit shift registers disposed in the ink jet print head, each of said one-bit shift registers containing one bit of a digital code corresponding to the print head identifying information, said identification circuit being connected to receive said first and second clock signals from said address lines and being responsive to said first and second clock signals to serially transmit the digital code, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;

an output line connected to said identification circuit for conducting the bits of the digital code to the controller; and

said controller being connected to receive the bits of the digital code from the output line and being programmed to interpret the digital code and determine the print head identifying information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said mask programmed, one-bit shift registers includes:

a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;

a power ground;

a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;

a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;

an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;

a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive said first clock signal, and a drain;

a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;

a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;

a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive said second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor; and

a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

said controller and drive circuit further transmitting at least one load signal;

said address lines for transmitting said at least one load signal;

said identification circuit including a load circuit and a transmit circuit, said load circuit being connected to receive said load signal from said address lines and being responsive to the load signal to load the digital code into the transmit circuit, said transmit circuit being responsive to said first and second clock signals after being loaded with the digital code to serially transmit the digital code on the output line;

said controller being programmed to transmit said at least one load signal and, following said at least one signal transmission, interpret a next predetermined number of bits on the output line as the digital code.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

said controller and drive circuit further transmitting at least one load signal;

said address lines for transmitting said at least one load signal and said first and second clock signals;

said identification circuit including a load circuit and a transmit circuit, said load circuit being connected to receive said at least one load signal from said address lines and being responsive to said at least one load signal to load the digital code into the transmit circuit as the loaded digital code, said transmit circuit being responsive to the loaded digital code and the first and second clock signals to serially transmit the digital code on the output line;

said controller being programmed to transmit said at least one load signal and, following said at least one load signal transmission, interpret a next predetermined number of bits on the output line as the digital code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said identification circuit further comprises:

a load circuit connected to receive a load signal from said address lines and being responsive to the load signal to load the digital code for serial transmission; and

a transmit circuit for being loaded with the digital code by the load circuit and being responsive to said first and second clock signals to serially transmit the multibit code to said output line.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sense circuit connected to said output line for transmitting information corresponding to the temperature of the print head.

7. An identification system for providing ink jet print head identifying information in ink jet printers having ink jet print heads, comprising:

a controller and drive circuit or transmitting signals including at least one clock signal in the form of clock pulses and a load signal and for receiving signals;

a plurality of address lines for transmitting signals including said at least one clock signal and said load signal from the controller and drive circuit to the ink jet print head;

an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code which includes bits corresponding to die print head identifying information, being connected to receive said at least one clock signal from said address lines and being responsive to said at least one clock signal to serially transmit the digital code, said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having;

a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;

a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;

a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;

an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;

a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive a first clock signal, and a drain;

a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;

a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;

a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive a second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor; and

a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals;

an output line connected to said identification circuit for transmitting the bits of the digital code to the controller; and

said controller being connected to receive the bits of the digital code from the output line and being programmed to interpret the digital code and determine the print head identifying information.

8. An ink jet print head identification circuit for use in an ink jet printer having printer electronics producing signals, said identification circuit being integrated into an ink jet print head chip having print head array electronics, a print head temperature sense circuit with an output, and a plurality of address lines for interconnecting the print head array electronics and the printer electronics of the ink jet printer and for receiving signals produced by the printer electronics, said identification circuit providing print head identifying information to an ink jet printer, the identification circuit comprising:

an output device; and

a plurality of mask programmed one bit shift registers having programmed contents in the form of either a logic "1" or a logic "0" and being interconnected to the address lines and the output device for serially shifting the programmed contents of the registers to the output device in response to signals received on the address lines.

9. The identification circuit of claim 8, further comprising:

said signals including at least one clock signal and a load signal;

said registers further interconnected to each other to serially shift said programmed contents to the output device in response to said at least one clock and said load signals.

10. The identification circuit of claim 8 wherein said output device comprises:

an output transistor having a source, drain, and gate, said gate receiving the serially shifted, programmed contents of the shift registers;

a pull up device for applying a pull up voltage to the drain of said output transistor, said programmed contents being reflected in the voltage at said drain as the programmed contents are received by the output transistor; and

a discharge device for discharging parasitic capacitance at the gate of said output transistor following reception of the programmed contents.

11. An ink jet print head integrated circuit for providing print head identifying information to ink jet printer electronics, said circuit comprising:

a print head array circuit;

a plurality of address lines connected to the printer electronics and to said print head array circuit for conducting signals from the printer electronics to the print head array circuit, said address lines including lines for conducting first and second clock signals and a line for conducting a load signal, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;

a temperature sense circuit having an output connected to the printer electronics; and

a programmed identification circuit connected to receive said first and second clock signals and said load signal, and for providing print head identifying information to the temperature sense circuit output in serial digital format in response to said first and second clock signals and said load signal, said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having;

a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;

a power ground;

a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;

a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;

an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;

a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive said first clock signal, and a drain;

a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;

a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;

a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive said second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor; and

a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein said identification circuit comprises a plurality of mask programmed, one-bit shift registers, each of said one-bit shift registers being mask programmed in accordance with the identifying information to produce an output of either a logical one or a logical zero in response to said first and second clock signals and said load signal.

13. An ink jet print apparatus characterized by:

an ink jet print head containing ink;

an identification circuit having a plurality of mask programmed, one-bit shift registers disposed in the ink jet print head, each of said one-bit shift registers containing one bit of a digital code corresponding to print head identifying information;

input lines connected to said identification circuit to receive at least one clock signal and at least one load signal and said identification circuit being responsive to the at least one clock signal and at least one load signal to serially transmit the digital code, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line; and

an output line for interconnecting said identification circuit and the printer for conducting the digital code when transmitted to provide the print head identifying information as an output.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of programmed one bit shift registers includes a load transistor which is electrically connected during fabrication of the identification circuit either to a voltage source to provide a first bit value or to ground to provide a second bit value which is different than said first bit value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said identification circuit is further characterized as including an output device that serially holds and transmits a bit of the digital code on said output line.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said control signals are characterized as shift signals including at least one clock signal and at least one load signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said output line is further characterized as the output of a print head temperature sensing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said ink jet print head is further characterized as an ink jet print head for depositing, onto a print medium, ink having parameters corresponding to the print head identifying information.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said print head identifying information identifies parameters of the ink jet print head including ink color.

20. An ink jet print apparatus characterized by:

an ink jet print head containing ink;

an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code which includes bits corresponding to print head identifying information;

wherein said ink jet print head is characterized as an ink jet print head for depositing, onto a print medium, ink having parameters corresponding to the print head identifying information;

input lines connected to said identification circuit to receive at least one clock signal and at least one load and said identification circuit being responsive to the at least one clock signal and at least one load signal to serially transmit the digital code, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;

an output line for interconnecting said identification circuit and the printer for conducting the digital code when transmitted to provide the print head identifying information as an output;

wherein said identification circuit is further characterized as including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having;

a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;

a power ground;

a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;

a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;

an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;

a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive a first clock signal, and a drain;

a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;

a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;

a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive a second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor; and

a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals.

21. An ink jet print apparatus for providing print head identifying information to an ink jet printer, said apparatus characterized by:

a printer control circuit for producing first and second clock signals and a load signal;

a plurality of address lines for conducting said first and second clock signals and said load signal, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;

an ink jet print head;

ink contained in said print head;

an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code corresponding to the print head identifying information, being connected to said address lines to receive the first and second clock signals and the load signal from the printer'"'"'s control circuit and being responsive to the clock and load signals to serially transmit the digital code to the printer control circuit said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having;

a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;

a power ground;

a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;

a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;

an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;

a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive said first clock signal, and a drain;

a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;

a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;

a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive said second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor;

a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals; and

an output line interconnecting said identification circuit and said printer control circuit for conducting the digital code to the printer control circuit;

wherein said printer control circuit interprets the digital code and determines the print head identifying information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said identification circuit is further characterized as including a plurality of mask programmed, one-bit shift registers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said print head identifying information identifies parameters of the ink jet print head including ink parameters.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said ink parameters are further characterized as colors.

25. A method for providing, to an ink jet printer, identifying information which identifies the type of ink jet print head that deposits, onto a print medium, ink having parameters corresponding to the identifying information, the method characterized by the steps of:

attaching an ink jet print head containing ink to an ink jet printer;

providing ink to the print head;

programming a digital code into an identification circuit disposed on the print head, each bit of the digital code being programmed as either an electrically conducting connection between a one-bit shift register and a voltage source or an electrically conducting connection between the one-bit shift register and ground, the digital code corresponding to the print head identifying information;

transmitting control signals generated by the printer to the identification circuit;

transmitting one or more bits of the digital code to an output device in serial digital format in response to the control signals;

reading the digital code by the printer as the digital code is transmitted by the output device; and

identifying the type of print head and ink based on the print head identifying information.