Windows driver for sensing ink cartridge prior to generation of data

• US 6,273,541 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Myung, Ho-Suck
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/063,929
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 395/109, 358/1.9, 358/1.11, 358/1.8, 347/57, 347/9, 347/12, 347/49, 347/19
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically

Abstract

Provided with driver operating under a Microsoft Windows operating system which senses the replacement of the ink cartridge in an automatic manner and generates a print data adapted to the type of ink cartridge in case the user replaces the ink cartridge with a pressing of an ink replacement button disposed in an inkjet printer for the user'"'"'s more efficient use, the driver software performing a process including the steps of: when a new ink cartridge replaces an old ink cartridge by means of an ink replacement button, performing a first bidirectional communication for sensing the type of the ink cartridge; checking whether the ink cartridge sensed is a black one; if the ink cartridge is a black one, generating black print data according to the black ink cartridge; and if the ink cartridge is not a black one, generating color print data according to the color ink cartridge.

Claims

1. A printing method for printing images on a printer connected to a host computer, said method comprising the steps of:

when a first ink cartridge of a printer is replaced by a second ink cartridge, transmitting a first signal to said printer from a host computer, and receiving a second signal from said printer to said host computer, said second signal including first data describing a pigment of ink contained in said second ink cartridge;

when said second signal is received by said host computer, identifying said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge;

when said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge corresponds to black ink, generating first print data corresponding to the black ink;

when said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge corresponds to different color inks, generating second print data corresponding to the different color inks, wherein a button mounted on said printer is pressed when said first ink cartridge of said printer is replaced by said second ink cartridge;

conveying said ink from said second ink cartridge onto a recordable medium to form a first image corresponding to said first print data when said first print data is generated;

conveying said ink onto the recordable medium to form a second image corresponding to said second print data when said second print data is generated, said conveying being performed when a head driver generates an electrical signal to said second ink cartridge;

receiving a reference voltage at said head driver, said head driver comprising first and second operational amplifiers, said first operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving a power signal and an output terminal;

receiving the reference voltage at said second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving the power signal and an output terminal;

when said first print data is generated, receiving a first voltage at said output terminal of said first operational amplifier and outputting a black ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge; and

when said second print data is generated, receiving a second voltage at said output terminal of said second operational amplifier and outputting a color ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge.

2. The method of claim 1, said conveying corresponding jetting said ink from said second ink cartridge onto the recordable medium.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

when said ink is identified as being the black ink, compressing said first print data;

when said ink is identified as being the different color inks, compressing said second print data;

transmitting a third signal to said printer from said host computer, and receiving a fourth signal from said printer to said host computer, said fourth signal including second data describing errors of said printer, said second data enabling a presence of errors in said printer to be identified;

when said fourth signal is received by said host computer, identifying said presence of said errors in said printer;

when said ink is identified as being the black ink, transmitting said first print data from said host computer to said printer; and

when said ink is identified as being the different color inks, transmitting said second print data from said host computer to said printer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said printer corresponds to an inkjet printer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising driver software loaded on said host computer, said driver software communicating with said printer, performing said identifying of said pigment of said like contained in said second ink cartridge, performing said generating of said first print data when said ink is identified as being the black ink, and performing said generating of said second print data when said ink is identified as being the different color inks.

6. The method of claim 5, said driver software compressing said first print data, compressing said second print data, and identifying said presence of said errors in said printer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a Microsoft Windows operating system loaded on said host computer.

8. The method of claim 2, the first voltage being different than the second voltage.

9. The method of claim 3, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

10. A computer implemented method conveying attributes of an ink cartridge from a printer to a host computer, said method comprising the steps of:

when a first ink cartridge of said printer is replaced by a second ink cartridge, transmitting a first signal to said printer from said host computer, and receiving a second signal from said printer to said host computer, said second signal including attributes of said second ink cartridge;

when said second signal is received by said host computer, identifying said second ink cartridge;

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having a first attribute, generating first print data according to said first attribute;

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having a second attribute, generating second print data according to said second attribute;

conveying ink from said second ink cartridge onto a recordable medium to form a first image corresponding to said first print data when said first print data when said first print data is generated;

conveying said ink onto the recordable medium to form a second image corresponding to said second print data when said second print data is generated;

said conveying being performed when a head driver generates an electrical signal to said second ink cartridge;

receiving a reference voltage at said head driver, said head driver comprising first and second operational amplifiers, said first operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving a power signal and an output terminal;

receiving the reference voltage at said second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving the power signal and an output terminal;

when said first print data is generated, receiving a first voltage at said output terminal of said first operational amplifier and outputting a black ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge; and

when said second print data is generated, receiving a second voltage at said output terminal of said second operational amplifier and outputting a color ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge, the first voltage being different than the second voltage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first attribute of said second ink cartridge corresponds to black ink and said second attribute of said second ink cartridge corresponds to different color inks.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein an ink replacement button of said printer is pressed when replacing said first ink cartridge by said second ink cartridge.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said first attribute, compressing said first print data;

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said second attribute, compressing said second print data;

transmitting a third signal to said printer from said host computer, and receiving a fourth signal from said printer to said host computer, said fourth signal including attributes of said printer;

when said fourth signal is received by said host computer, identifying presence of errors in said printer;

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said first attribute, transmitting said first print data from said host computer to said printer; and

when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said second attribute, transmitting said second print data from said host computer to said printer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising driver software loaded on said host computer, said driver software communicating with said printer, identifying said attributes of said second ink cartridge, generating said first print data when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said first attribute, and generating said second print data when said second ink cartridge is identified as having said second attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, said driver software compressing said first print data, compressing said second print data, and identifying said presence of said errors in said printer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a Microsoft Windows operating system loaded on said host computer.

17. The method of claim 10, the first voltage corresponding to a voltage higher than the second voltage.

18. The method of claim 10, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

19. The method of claim 12, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

20. The method of claim 13, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

21. A printing system for a printer connected to a host computer having a Microsoft Windows operating system, said printing system comprising:

a printer for recording an image onto a recordable medium;

a first ink cartridge containing ink and being connected to said printer;

a button mounted on said printer, said button being pressed when said first ink cartridge replaces a second ink cartridge;

a host computer being electrically connected to said printer, said host computer having a Microsoft Windows operating system;

driver software communicating with said printer when said first ink cartridge replaces the second ink cartridge and said button is pressed, identifying an attribute of said ink contained in said first ink cartridge when said attribute is transmitted to said driver software from said printer, and generating print data according to said identification of said attribute of said ink, said driver software being loaded on said host computer, wherein said attribute of said ink is a characteristic selected from the group consisting of monochrome ink and different color inks;

said first ink cartridge conveying said ink from said first ink cartridge onto a recordable medium to form a first image corresponding to the monochrome ink when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the monochrome ink, and conveying said ink onto the recordable medium to form a second image corresponding to the different color inks when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the different color inks;

a head driver, said conveying being performed in response to said head driver generating an electrical signal to said first ink cartridge, said head driver further comprising;

a first operational amplifier, said first operation amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving a power signal and an output terminal;

a second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving the power signal and an output terminal;

when said first print data is generated, said output terminal of said first operational amplifier receiving a first voltage and outputting a black ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge; and

when said second print data is generated, said output terminal of said second operational amplifier receiving a second voltage and outputting a color ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge.

22. The printing system of claim 21, said driver software compressing said print data, and identifying a presence of errors in said printer.

23. The printing system of claim 21, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

24. The printing system of claim 23, wherein monochrome corresponds to black.

25. The printing system of claim 23, wherein said print data generated according to said identification of said attribute of said ink corresponds to color print data when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the different color inks.

26. The printing system of claim 24, wherein said print data generated according to said identification of said attribute of said ink corresponds to black print data when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the black ink.

27. The system of claim 22, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

28. The system of claim 23, the first voltage corresponding to a voltage higher than the second voltage.

29. The system of claim 25, said driver software compressing said print data, and identifying a presence of errors in said print.

30. A printing method for printing images on a printer connected to a host computer, said method comprising the steps of:

when a first ink cartridge of a printer is replaced by a second ink cartridge, transmitting a first signal to said printer from a host computer, and receiving a second signal from said printer to said host computer, said second signal including first data describing a pigment of ink contained in said second ink cartridge;

when said second signal is received by said host computer, identifying said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge;

when said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge corresponds to black ink, generating first print data corresponding to the black ink;

when said pigment of said ink contained in said second ink cartridge corresponds to different color inks, generating second print data corresponding to the different color inks;

conveying said ink from said second ink cartridge onto a recordable medium to form a first image corresponding to said first print data when said first print data is generated;

conveying said ink onto the recordable medium to form a second image corresponding to said second print data when said second print data is generated, said conveying being performed when a head driver generates an electrical signal to said second ink cartridge;

receiving a reference voltage at said head driver, said head driver comprising first and second operational amplifiers, said first operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving a power signal and an output terminal;

receiving the reference voltage at said second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving the power signal and an output terminal;

when said first print data is generated, receiving a first voltage at said output terminal of said first operational amplifier and outputting a black ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge; and

when said second print data is generated, receiving a second voltage at said output terminal of said second operational amplifier and outputting a color ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge, the first voltage being different than the second voltage.

31. The method of claim 30, said conveying corresponding to jetting said ink from said second ink cartridge onto the recordable medium.

32. The method of claim 30, the first voltage corresponding to a voltage higher than the second voltage.

33. The method of claim 30, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.

34. A printing system for a printer connected to a host computer having a Microsoft Windows operating system, said printing system comprising:

a printer for recording an image onto a recordable medium;

a first ink cartridge containing ink and being connected to said printer;

a button mounted on said printer, said button being pressed when said first ink cartridge replaces a second ink cartridge;

a host computer being electrically connected to said printer, said host computer having a Microsoft Windows operating system;

driver software communicating with said printer when said first ink cartridge replaces the second ink cartridge and said button is pressed, identifying an attribute of said ink contained in said first ink cartridge when said attribute is transmitted to said driver software from said printer, and generating print data according to said identification of said attribute of said ink, said driver software being loaded on said host computer;

wherein said attribute of said ink is a characteristic selected from the group consisting of monochrome ink and different color inks;

said first ink cartridge conveying said ink from said first ink cartridge onto a recordable medium to form a first image corresponding to the monochrome ink when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the monochrome ink, and conveying said ink onto the recordable medium to form a second image corresponding to the different color inks when said attribute of said ink corresponds to the different color inks;

a head driver, said conveying being performed in response to said head driver generating an electrical signal to said first ink cartridge, said head driver further comprising;

a first operational amplifier, said first operation amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a noninverting input terminal receiving a power signal and an output terminal;

a second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage and a non inverting input terminal receiving the power signal and an output terminal;

when said first print data is generated, said output terminal of said first operational amplifier receiving a first voltage and outputting a black ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge; and

when said second print data is generated, said output terminal of said second operational amplifier receiving a second voltage and outputting a color ink enable signal driving said second ink cartridge, the first voltage being different than the second voltage.

35. The system of claim 34, the first voltage corresponding to a voltage higher than the second voltage.

36. The system of claim 34, the second voltage being inverted before being received by said output terminal of said second operational amplifier.