Utilizing printer memory for automatic user messaging

• US 6,285,835 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Guillemin, Gustavo M., Wiechers, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Susan S. Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/481,727
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 399/8, 399/11, 399/10, 399/24, 399/81, 399/27, 399/15, 399/12
• US Class Current: 399/8
• 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: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

A printing system provides consumer messages to users of the printing device by storing user message data in memory located in the printing device and displaying the user message upon the occurrence of a certain event. The user message data may either be an electronic representation of the user message, or it may be a pointer corresponding to an external memory location that contains the electronic representation of the user message.

Claims

1. In a printing device having memory integrated therein, a method comprising:

detecting when a replaceable component is installed into the printing device;

displaying a consumer message derived from message data in the memory to a user of the printing device; and

wherein the message data comprises a pointer that references an electronic representation of the consumer message stored external to the printing device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic representation of the consumer message is stored in memory of a host computer which is connected to the printing device.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying a consumer message further comprises printing the message from the printing device.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying a consumer message further comprises displaying a consumer message on a printing device display.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying a consumer message further comprises displaying a consumer message on a display of a host computer connected to the printing device.

6. A printing system, comprising:

a printing device having memory with consumer data stored therein;

a user interface; and

a processor configured to display a consumer message derived from the consumer data in response to installation of a replaceable component into the printing device,

wherein the consumer data comprises a pointer that references an electronic representation of the consumer message stored external to the printing device.

7. The printing system recited in claim 6, wherein:

the printing device is a laser printer; and

the replaceable component is a toner cartridge.

8. The printing system recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a host computer connected to the printing device;

computer memory integrated into the host computer, the computer memory storing the electronic representation of the consumer message; and

wherein the pointer references the electronic representation of the consumer message in the computer memory.

9. The printing system recited in claim 6, further comprising a detector to detect the installation of the replaceable component.

10. A laser printer, comprising:

memory with consumer message data stored therein;

an installable toner cartridge;

a processor configured to display a consumer message derived from the message data in response to the toner cartridge being installed in the laser printer; and

wherein the consumer message data comprises a pointer corresponding to an external memory location, the external memory location storing an electronic representation of the consumer message.