Apparatus controlled by data from consumable parts with incorporated memory devices

• US 6,019,449 A
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Childers, Winthrop D, Bullock, Michael L
• Primary Examiner(s): Yan, Ren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghatt, Dave A.
• Application Number:
  US09/092,111
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 347/7, 347/14, 347/17, 347/19, 347/20, 347/50
• US Class Current: 347/14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically

Abstract

A printing system includes a replaceable cartridge for housing a supply of consumable marking media. The cartridge includes a cartridge memory for recording printing system-related parameters, including marking media parameters. A replaceable printing device, such as an ink jet head, includes a printhead memory for recording printing device-related parameters. A processor is coupled to the cartridge memory, the printhead memory and is responsive to parameters read from both memories to derive printing system function control values that are dependent upon one or more marking media parameters from the cartridge memory and one or more parameters from the printhead memory. The processor is thus able (in the case of an ink jet printing system) to determine a current ink supply value from a cumulative usage value stored on the cartridge memory and a drop volume parameter stored on the printhead memory. Further, a drop volume parameter stored on the printhead memory can be adjusted to accommodate a media type sensed by a media sensor.

Claims

1. An ink jet printing system, comprising:

printing system control electronics for controlling the operation of the printing system;

an ink jet printhead adapted to be installed in the printing system;

a first memory device mounted on the ink jet printhead and containing printhead-related data;

a first electrical interconnect on the printhead coupling the first memory device to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed in the printing system;

an ink cartridge adapted to be installed into the printing system and containing a supply of ink;

a second memory device mounted on the ink cartridge and containing ink-related data;

a second electrical interconnect on the ink cartridge coupling the second memory device to the printing system control electronics when the ink cartridge is installed in the printing system;

wherein the first memory device and the second memory device provide information to the printing system control electronics in order to carry out a printing operation.

2. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the printing system control electronics receive information which includes a first parameter accessed from the first memory device through the first electrical interconnect on the printhead and a second parameter accessed from the second memory device through the second electrical interconnect on the ink cartridge and derive a printer function control value in response.

3. The printing system of claim 2, wherein the first parameter is indicative of an ink drop volume of the ink jet printhead and the second parameter is indicative of an initial volume of the ink in the ink cartridge.

4. The ink jet printing system of claim 1 wherein the first memory device contains factory-written data.

5. The ink jet printing system of claim 4 wherein the first memory device contains printer-recorded data.

6. The ink jet printing system of claim 1 wherein the second memory device contains factory-written data.

7. The ink jet printing system of claim 6 wherein the second memory device contains printer-recorded data.

8. A printhead for an ink jet printing system including printing system control electronics that control operation of the printing system, the printhead comprising:

a housing adapted to be removably installed in the printing system;

a print element mounted to the housing for selectively depositing ink drops on the print media; and

a memory device having a direct electrical interconnecting contact coupling the memory device to the printing system control electronics when the housing is installed in the printing system;

wherein the printing system control electronics derive a printing function control value that is dependent upon at least a print element parameter accessed through the direct electrical interconnecting contact from the memory device as well as a different parameter accessed from another memory device on an ink supply removably installed in the printing system.

9. A printhead for an ink jet printing system including printing system control electronics that control operation of the printing system, the printhead comprising:

a housing adapted to be releasable installed in the printing system;

a print element mounted to the housing for selectively depositing ink on print media;

a memory device mounted on the housing; and

an electrical interconnect on the housing coupling the memory device to the printing system control electronics when the housing is installed in the printing system

wherein the printing system control electronics derive a printing function control value that enables the printing system control electronics to perform a dot density calculation which is dependent upon at least a print element parameter stored in the memory device and a media parameter that is indicative of print media properties in order to carry out a printing operation.

10. An ink jet printhead for installation into an in jet printing system that includes printing system control electronics for controlling operation of the printing system, the printhead comprising:

a print element for ejecting ink drops onto media; and

a first memory device mounted on the printhead and having a direct electrical interconnecting contact coupling the memory device to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed in the printing system;

wherein information is provided by the first memory device to the printing system control electronics as a basis for deriving a printing system function control value that is also dependent upon additional information associated with an ink supply or print media in order to carry out a printing operation.

11. The ink jet printhead of claim 10, wherein the additional information includes a parameter that is indicative of an amount of ink initially present in an ink supply for providing ink to the printhead.

12. The ink jet printhead of claim 11, wherein the printing system control value is a number of ink drops that are fired per count of an ink volume counting means.

13. An ink jet printhead for installation into an ink jet printing system that includes printing system control electronics for controlling operation of the printing system, the printhead comprising:

a print element for ejecting ink drops onto media;

a first memory device mounted on the printhead; and

a first electrical interconnect on the printhead coupling the first memory device to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed in the printing system;

wherein in order to carry out a printing operation the printing system control electronics derives a printing system function value that is dependent upon at least the information provided by the first memory device including a volume parameter indicative of a drop volume characteristic of the print element and additional information associated with an ink supply or print media; and

wherein the printer function control value is utilized to adjust a dot density produced by the printing system.

14. An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing system including printing system control electronics for controlling the operation of the printing system and including an ink jet printhead having a first memory device coupled through a first electrical interconnect to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed into the printing system, the ink cartridge comprising:

a housing adapted to be releasably installed onto the printing system and configured to provide ink to the printhead when the housing is releasable installed onto the printing system;

a second memory device mounted to the cartridge housing; and

a second electrical interconnect on the cartridge housing for coupling the second memory device to the printing system control electronics when the cartridge housing is releasable installed into the printing system;

wherein in order to carry out a printing operation information is provided by the first memory device and the second memory device to the printing system control electronics including information at least indicative of an amount of ink remaining within the ink cartridge and wherein the printing system updates this information to reflect ink utilized by the printhead; and

wherein the remaining volume information includes a plurality of coarse bits, writing to each coarse bit corresponds to utilizing a predetermined fraction of the initial quantity of ink.

15. The ink cartridge of claim 14, wherein the remaining volume information includes a plurality of fine bits, the entire range of the fine bits corresponds to one of the coarse bits.

16. The ink cartridge of claim 15, wherein each coarse bit corresponds to 12.5% of the initial quantity of ink.

17. The ink cartridge of claim 15, wherein the first memory element provides a drop volume parameter indicative of a drop volume of the printhead.

18. The ink cartridge of claim 17, wherein the second memory element provides an initial volume parameter indicative of an amount of ink initially associated with the second replaceable component, the printing system utilizes the drop volume parameter and the initial volume parameter to derive a parameter indicative of a number of ink drops corresponding to a fine count bit flip.

19. An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing system including a printing system control electronics for controlling the operation of the printing system and including an ink jet printhead having a first memory device coupled through a first electrical interconnect to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed into the print system, the ink cartridge comprising:

a housing adapted to be releasably installed onto the printing system and configured to provide ink to the printhead when the housing is releasably installed onto the printing system; and

a second memory device mounted to the cartridge housing; and

a second electrical interconnect on the cartridge housing coupling the second memory device to the printing system control electronics when the cartridge housing is releasably installed into the printing system;

wherein information is provided by the first memory device and the second memory device to the printing system control electronics in order to carry out a printing operation; and

wherein the first memory element provides a drop volume parameter indicative of a drop volume of the printhead, and the second memory element provides an initial volume parameter indicative of an amount of ink initially associated with the second replaceable component, the printing system utilizes the drop volume parameter and the initial volume parameter to derive a parameter indicative of a number of ink drops corresponding to a fine count bit flip.

20. An ink supply component configured for connection to a printing system including printing system control electronics for controlling operation of the printing system and a printhead having a first memory device thereon coupled through a first electrical interconnect to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed into the printing system, the ink supply comprising:

a supply of ink;

an ink reservoir holding the ink and fluidically coupled to a discharge port, the discharge port configured to connect the ink reservoir to the printing system when the ink supply component is connected to the printing system;

a second memory device coupled through a second electrical interconnect that couples the memory device to the printing system control electronics when the ink supply component is connected to the printing system;

wherein information is provided by the first memory device and the second memory device through the first electrical interconnect and the second electrical interconnect, respectively, to the printing system control electronics in order to derive a printer value control function to carry out a printing operation.

21. An ink supply configured for connection to a printing system including printing system control electronics for controlling operation of the printing system and a printhead having a first memory device thereon that couples to the printing system control electronics when the printhead is installed into the printing system, the ink supply comprising:

an ink reservoir fluidically coupled to a discharge port, the discharge port configured to connect the ink reservoir to the printing system when the ink supply is connected to the printing system;

a second memory device coupled through an electrical interconnect to the printing system control electronics when the ink supply is connected to the printing system;

wherein information is provided by the first memory device and the second memory device to the printing system control electronics in order to carry out a printing operation; and

wherein the first memory device provides information to the printing system indicative of a drop volume characteristic of the ink jet printhead, the second memory device provides information to the printing system control electronics indicative of an initial volume of ink associated with the ink supply, such that the printing system used the information indicative of a drop volume characteristic and information indicative of an initial volume of ink associated with the ink supply to calculate a number of drops associated with a fine count bit flip.