Method and apparatus for storing data in a non-volatile memory circuit mounted on a printer's process cartridge
First Claim
1. A method for storing data on a non-volatile memory device in an image forming apparatus, said method comprising:
- (a) providing an image forming apparatus main body that contains a memory circuit, a print engine, and a processing circuit that controls the routing of data between said memory circuit and said print engine;
(b) providing a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, a toner reservoir, and a toner level sensing circuit, wherein said toner level sensing circuit providing an output that exhibits more than two discrete gradation levels that are related to a measured remaining quantity of toner material in said toner reservoir; and
(c) changing the state of a bit in said non-volatile memory upon the occurrence of a transition between two of said discrete gradation levels of the output of said toner level sensing circuit based upon the measured remaining quantity of toner material in said toner reservoir.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved electrophotographic (EP) printer is provided having a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, which is an EPROM that cannot be erased after a bit is burned. A "toner wheel" mounted to the exterior of the toner reservoir of the process cartridge provides, in conjunction with an optoelectronic sensor, an electrical signal that the printer receives and uses to determine toner usage. A toner "gas-gauge" is created which uses "bucket levels" as discrete steps to indicate how much of the measured physical toner material actually remains within the toner reservoir. After a given amount of toner material has been dispensed through the developer unit, one of the bits of the EPROM memory device is irreversibly burned, thereby providing a permanent record on the process cartridge of a certain amount of toner usage. As with a normal automobile gas gauge, the toner gas-gauge reading should never increase unless the amount of toner material inside the toner reservoir has increased. Once the bucket level transitions begin to occur for the toner gas-gauge, the printer becomes aware that a majority of the toner material has been expended from inside the toner reservoir. If the number of bucket gradation levels then increases by more than the hysteresis amount, then the printer will "lock out" the operation of a non-reusable process cartridge. When the lock-out mode occurs, a particular bit is burned on the EPROM mounted to the cleaner housing of the process cartridge. This ensures that this particular process cartridge cannot be removed, then simply placed back into the same (or a different) printer, and then begin supplying toner to a printer. Certain important "machine data" also can be stored in the EPROM memory device on the process cartridge of the present invention. The present invention is also able to declare the "end-of-life" of a process cartridge when the gas-gauge toner sensor is not functional (such as when it has been tampered with).
253 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for storing data on a non-volatile memory device in an image forming apparatus, said method comprising:
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(a) providing an image forming apparatus main body that contains a memory circuit, a print engine, and a processing circuit that controls the routing of data between said memory circuit and said print engine; (b) providing a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, a toner reservoir, and a toner level sensing circuit, wherein said toner level sensing circuit providing an output that exhibits more than two discrete gradation levels that are related to a measured remaining quantity of toner material in said toner reservoir; and (c) changing the state of a bit in said non-volatile memory upon the occurrence of a transition between two of said discrete gradation levels of the output of said toner level sensing circuit based upon the measured remaining quantity of toner material in said toner reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for storing data on a non-volatile memory device in an image forming apparatus, said method comprising:
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(a) providing an image forming apparatus main body that contains a memory circuit, a print engine, and a processing circuit that controls the routing of data between said memory circuit and said print engine; (b) providing a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device and a toner reservoir; (c) burning at least one bit of said non-volatile memory after a pre-determined amount of pels have been printed to establish a that a valid installation of said process cartridge in said image forming apparatus main body has occurred; and (d) recording machine data relating to usage history, substantially when said valid installation occurs. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for operating an image forming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an image forming apparatus that contains a memory circuit, a print engine, and a processing circuit that controls the routing of data between said memory circuit and said print engine; (b) inspecting at least one escape hatch data bit in said memory circuit to determine whether at least one of a plurality of disparate functions will be enabled or disabled within said image forming apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for storing data on a non-volatile memory device in an image forming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an image forming apparatus main body that contains a memory circuit, a print engine, and a processing circuit that controls the routing of data between said memory circuit and said print engine; (b) providing a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, a toner reservoir, and a toner level sensing circuit that provides an output signal which indicates more than two discrete output quantities that are related to a measured quantity of toner material remaining in said toner reservoir; and (c) burning a bit of said non-volatile memory upon the occurrence of said toner level sensing circuit'"'"'s said output signal changing from one discrete output quantity to another. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a memory circuit for storage of data; (b) a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, a toner reservoir, and a toner level sensing circuit that provides an output signal which indicates more than two discrete output quantities that are related to a measured quantity of toner material remaining in said toner reservoir; (c) a print engine that produces a physical output upon a print media; and (d) a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit, process cartridge, and print engine, said processing circuit also being configured to set a bit of said non-volatile memory device upon the occurrence of said toner level sensing circuit'"'"'s said output signal changing from one discrete output quantity to another. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification