Method and apparatus for identifying a sales channel

• US 6,863,377 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haines, Robert E., Bullock, Michael L., Walker, Ray A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FEGGINS, KRISTAL J
• Application Number:
  US10/283,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86, 347/87, 347/50, 347/19
• US Class Current: 347/50
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• 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 21/181 Manufacturing or assembling, recycling, reuse, transportation, packaging or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1878 Electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00987 Remanufacturing, i.e. reusing or recycling parts of the image forming apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1606 for the photosensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1639 for the fixing unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1823 Cartridges having electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a replaceable printing component for use in a printing system having at least one replaceable printing component. The replaceable printing component is of the type sold through a plurality of sales channels. The replaceable printing component includes a radio frequency link for receiving information indicative of a particular sales channel of a plurality of sales channels. Also included in the replaceable printing component is an electrical storage device for storing information indicative of the particular sales channel. The electrical storage device provides information indicative of the particular sales channel for reordering the replaceable printing component.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a particular reseller responsible for a sale of a particular item of a plurality of resellers each of which sell similar items, the method comprising:

providing a radio frequency, signal having information contained therein indicative of the particular reseller;

receiving the radio frequency signal and storing the information indicative of the particular reseller in a memory associated with that item; and

retrieving the information indicative of the particular reseller for recording a replacement item from the particular reseller responsible for the sale.

2. The method for identifying a particular reseller of claim 1 wherein retrieving the information indicative of the particular reseller includes retrieving reseller information that corresponds with the information indicative of the particular reseller that is specified is a lookup table.

3. The method for identifying a particular reseller of claim 1 wherein providing the radio frequency signal includes providing a radio frequency signal that is modulated for providing information in a serial fashion to the printing component.

4. A method for building consumer loyalty with resellers who sell replaceable components for use in a system having at least one replaceable component, the business method comprising:

storing information identifying a particular reseller of a plurality of resellers using a radio frequency signal having information contained therein indicative of the particular reseller; and

retrieving the information indicative of the particular reseller for reordering a replacement item from the particular reseller responsible for the sale.

5. The method for building customer loyalty with resellers of claim 4 wherein storing information identifying a particular reseller is accomplished in a serial fashion.

6. The method for building customer loyalty with resellers of claim 4 wherein the radio frequency signal enables storage of information in a memory associated with replaceable components associated with the particular reseller.

7. The method for building customer loyalty with resellers of claim 4 wherein retrieving the information indicative of the particular reseller includes retrieving reseller information that corresponds, with the information indicative of the particular reseller that is specified in a lookup table.

8. A method for storing information indicative of a reseller of a replaceable component, the method comprising:

providing a radio frequency signal leaving information contained therein indicative of a reseller of the replaceable component; and

storing the information indicative of the reseller of the replaceable component in a storage device associated with the replaceable components in response to receiving the radio frequency signal.

9. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, wherein providing a radio frequency signal having information contained therein is accomplished by providing a radio frequency signal that is modulated to encode information therein.

10. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, wherein storing the information indicative of the reseller includes receiving information in a serial fashion for storage in the storage device.

11. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, wherein the storage device is a semiconductor memory.

12. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, further including retrieving the information indicative of the reseller for recording a replacement item from the reseller.

13. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 12, wherein retrieving the information indicative of the reseller includes displaying the information indicative of the particular reseller to the user of the replaceable component.

14. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, wherein providing a radio frequency signal having information contained therein includes providing at least one of reseller identification information, intermediate channel identification information, and manufacture identification information.

15. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 8, wherein providing a radio frequency signal having information contained therein includes providing the radio frequency signal at a point of sale of the replaceable component.

16. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 12, further comprising storing default information in the storage device.

17. The method for storing information indicative of a reseller of claim 16, wherein storing default information in the storage device comprises storing at least one of a list of resellers of the replaceable component, a web address for obtaining the replaceable component, and the manufacture of the replaceable component.

18. A reseller identification tag for use with replaceable components, the reseller identification tag comprising:

an electrical storage device associated with a replaceable component, the electrical storage device storing information indicative of a sales channel for the replaceable component, wherein the electrical storage device provides the information indicative of the sales channel to a user of the replaceable component for replacing the replaceable component associated with the electrical storage device.

19. The reseller identification tag of claim 18, further comprising a radio frequency linking device for transferring information indicative of a sales channel for the replaceable component with a corresponding radio frequency linking device.

20. The reseller identification tag of claim 19, further comprising a radio frequency linking device is associated with a display device for displaying the information indicative of the sales channel to the user of the replaceable component.

21. The reseller identification tag of claim 20, wherein the display desire is a printer system.

22. The reseller identification tag of claim 18, wherein that replaceable component is a printing system component.

23. The reseller identification tag of claim 18, wherein the information indicative of the sales channel of the replaceable component comprises at least one of reseller identification information, intermediate channel identification information, and manufacture identification information.

24. The reseller identification tag of claim 18, wherein the information indicative of a sales channel is stored on the electrical storage device at a point of sale of the replaceable component.

25. A reseller identification tag for use with replaceable components, the reseller identification tag comprising:

an electrical storage device coupled to the replaceable component, the electrical storage device containing sales channel information for the replaceable component; and

a radio frequency linking device for transferring information contained in the storage device with a corresponding radio frequency linking device.

26. The reseller identification system of claim 25, further comprising a priming system associated with the corresponding radio frequency linking device.

27. The reseller identification system of claim 25, further comprising a display device associated with the corresponding radio frequency linking device, the display device for displaying the sales channel information to a user of the replaceable component.

28. The reseller identification system of claim 27, wherein the display device is a printer system.

29. The reseller identification system of claim 28, wherein the display device is a printer mechanism of the printer system.

30. The reseller identification system of claim 28, wherein the display device is an LCD display of the printer system.

31. The reseller identification system of claim 25, further comprising a reseller programming device associated with the corresponding radio frequency linking device.

32. The reseller identification system of claim 31, wherein the reseller programming device stores the sales channel information on electrical storage device at a point of sale of the replaceable component.

33. The reseller identification system of claim 25, whereon the replaceable component is a printing system component.

34. The reseller identification system of claim 25, wherein the sales channel information comprises at least one of reseller identification information, intermediate channel identification information, and manufacturer identification information.

35. The reseller identification system of claim 25, wherein the sales channel information comprises information specifying the replaceable component.

36. The reseller identification system of claim 35, wherein information specifying the replaceable component comprises a model number.

37. The reseller identification system of claim 25, wherein the radio frequency linking device for transfers information is a serial fashion.

38. The reseller identification system of claim 25, wherein the electrical storage device is a semiconductor memory device.