Imaging apparatus capable of forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein and method of assembling the apparatus

• US 6,644,544 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1999
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tredwell, Timothy J., Sanger, Kurt M., Spurr, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa M
• Application Number:
  US09/334,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 358/502, 358/401, 347/214
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/32 Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• 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

Abstract

Imaging apparatus capable of forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, and method of assembling the apparatus. The imaging apparatus reports the consumable type and manufacturer batch identification to a remote computer. The remote computer responds by returning batch-specific information that may affect processing parameters for the imaging apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, an electrically programmable read/write memory contained in a transponder is integrally attached to the consumable package. The transponder communicates with a transceiver, disposed within the imaging apparatus. The transceiver has antenna and support components for polling each transponder. As instructed by a control logic processor, the transceiver can both read manufacturing data from the transponder about the consumable and write usage and processing data to the transponder for storage in memory. A networked server connects to the control logic processor and to a network for communication with remote computer.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) an image forming assembly for forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information; and

(d) a telecommunications link and a reader coupled to said telecommunications link, said reader being disposed relative to said identifier for reading the identifier information and for providing the identifier information to said telecommunications link, said reader and telecommunications link linking said identifier to said data source for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and said telecommunications link linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly, wherein said reader comprises a transceiver coupled to said telecommunications link, said transceiver being operative to transmit a first electromagnetic field and to sense a second electromagnetic field, the first electromagnetic field containing sufficient power to generate the second electromagnetic field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifier defines magnetically encoded identifier information readable by said reader.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifier defines the identifier information as an embedded trace pattern readable by said reader.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a transponder, said transponder being operative to receive the first electromagnetic field transmitted by said transceiver and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field having the identifier information subsumed therein, the second electromagnetic field being received by said transceiver for transmission of the identifier information from said transceiver to said telecommunications link, and the first electromagnetic field providing the power for generating the second magnetic field.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transceiver transmits the first electromagnetic field at a predetermined first radio frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said transponder transmits the second electromagnetic field at a predetermined second radio frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data source is operative to process the image forming information after receipt of the identifying information and generates an operating instruction to be carried by said telecommunications link to said image forming assembly for operating said image forming assembly in accordance with the operating instruction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory in communication with said telecommunications link for storing the image forming information carried by said telecommunications link, so that the image forming information is subsequently retrievable by said image forming assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said memory is coupled to said image forming assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said memory is coupled to said data source.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to the consumable.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a photosensitive paper consumable.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a developer consumable.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a bleach consumable.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a fixer consumable.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to an ink consumable.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to an electrophotographic toner consumable.

18. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to an inkjet media consumable.

19. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a thermal dye donor web consumable.

20. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said memory is coupled to a thermal dye media consumable.

21. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a laminate consumable.

22. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to an inkjet printhead cleaning fluid consumable.

23. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said memory is coupled to a film consumable.

24. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said telecommunications link comprises a computer.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said memory is coupled to said computer.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image forming assembly is an inkjet printer.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image forming assembly is a thermal dye printer.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image forming assembly is a photographic printer.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image forming assembly is an electrophotographic printer.

30. An imaging apparatus for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) an image forming assembly for forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information; and

(d) a telecommunications link linking said identifier to said data source for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly; and

(e) an input device coupled to said telecommunications link and adapted for manual entry of the identifier information into said telecommunications link.

31. An imaging apparatus for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) an image forming assembly for forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information; and

(d) a telecommunications link linking said identifier to said data source for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly and wherein said telecommunications link carries HTTP protocol signals.

32. A method of operating an imaging apparatus for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) providing an image forming assembly and forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) remotely disposing a data source with respect to the image forming assembly, the data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information;

(d) providing a telecommunications link and linking the identifier to the data source for carrying the identifier information from the identifier to the data source and linking the data source to the image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from the data source to the image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in the image forming assembly; and

(e) providing a reader that is coupled to the telecommunications link and the reader being disposed relative to the identifier so as to read the identifier information and provided the identifier information to the telecommunications link wherein the reader comprises a transceiver that is coupled to the telecommunications link, the transceiver transmitting a first electromagnetic field and sensing a second electromagnetic field, the first electromagnetic field having sufficient power to provide the energy for generating the second electromagnetic field.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of providing an identifier comprises the step of providing an identifier defining magnetically encoded identifier information readable by the reader.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of providing an identifier comprises the step of providing an identifier defining the identifier information as an embedded trace pattern readable by the reader.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of providing an identifier comprises the step of providing a transponder, the transponder capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field transmitted by the transceiver and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field having the identifier information subsumed therein, the second electromagnetic field being received by the transceiver for transmission of the identifier information from the transceiver to the telecommunications link.

36. An imaging method for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) providing an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) providing an image forming assembly and operating the image forming assembly to form the image according to the identifier information;

(c) providing a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information;

(d) providing a telecommunications link and linking said identifier to said data source through said link for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly; and

(e) providing an input device coupled to said telecommunications link and using the input device to provide manual entry of the identifier information into said telecommunications link.

37. An imaging method for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) an image forming assembly for forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information; and

(d) a telecommunications link linking said identifier to said data source for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly and wherein said telecommunications link carries HTTP protocol signals.

38. An imaging method for forming an image consistent with type of imaging consumable loaded therein, comprising:

(a) an identifier associated with the consumable, said identifier defining identifier information characterizing the type of consumable;

(b) an image forming assembly for forming the image according to the identifier information;

(c) a data source remotely disposed with respect to said image forming assembly, said data source containing image forming information corresponding to the identifier information; and

(d) a telecommunications link linking said identifier to said data source for carrying the identifier information from said identifier to said data source and linking said data source to said image forming assembly for carrying the image forming information from said data source to said image forming assembly, so that the image is formed consistent with the type of the consumable loaded in said image forming assembly and wherein said telecommunications is compatible with HTTP protocol signals.