Method of warning a user of end of life of a consumable for an ink jet printer

• US 6,962,399 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Frank Edward, Zbrozek, John Dennis, Strunk, Timothy, Parish, George Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAM S
• Application Number:
  US10/335,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20040125160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 347/7, 347/9, 347/12, 347/40, 347/5, 347/41, 347/14, 347/19
• US Class Current: 347/14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17589 using ink level as input for printer mode selection or for prediction of remaining printing capacity

Abstract

A method informs a user of an ink jet printer of the end of life of a consumable. The consumable supplies ink to a printhead having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles and an associated plurality of ink jetting actuators, each of the plurality of ink jetting actuators being addressable. The printhead includes a plurality of address lines for facilitating selection of one or more of the plurality of ink jetting actuators. The method includes the steps of defining a notice threshold that is associated with a corresponding amount of ink remaining in the consumable; providing control logic for selectively controlling the plurality of address lines; determining whether the amount of ink remaining in the consumable has reached the notice threshold; and upon reaching the notice threshold, reducing an image density of images formed by the printhead by selectively disabling at least one of the plurality of address lines.

Claims

1. A method of informing a user of an ink jet printer of the end of life of a consumable, said consumable supplying ink to a printhead, said ink jet printer being adapted for reciprocating movement of said printhead along a main scan path, said printhead including a plurality of ink ejection nozzles and an associated plurality of ink jetting actuators, each of said plurality of ink jetting actuators being addressable, said printhead including a plurality of address lines for facilitating selection of one or more of said plurality of ink jetting actuators, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a notice threshold that is associated with a corresponding amount of ink remaining in said consumable;

providing control logic for selectively controlling said plurality of address lines;

determining a number of said plurality of address lines that is to be masked;

selecting a variable subset of said plurality of address lines, wherein a quantity of address lines in said variable subset is equal to said number;

determining whether said amount of ink remaining in said consumable has reached said notice threshold; and

upon reaching said notice threshold, reducing an image density of images formed by said printhead by selectively masking said number of said plurality of address lines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of said variable subset changes based upon a position of said printhead along said main scan path.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing contents of said variable subset of said plurality of address lines based on a predefined pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said predefined pattern is an address order sequence of said printhead.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing contents of said variable subset of said plurality of address lines based on random selection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing contents of said variable subset of said plurality of address lines based on a sequence for minimizing fluidic interference among adjacent ones of said plurality of printhead nozzles.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing contents of said variable subset of said plurality of address lines based on a bit sequence of imaging data at each of a plurality of predefined positions of said printhead along said main scan path.

8. A method of informing a user of an ink jet printer of the end of life of a consumable, said consumable supplying ink to a printhead, said ink jet printer being adapted for reciprocating movement of said printhead along a main scan path, said printhead including a plurality of ink ejection nozzles and an associated plurality of ink jetting actuators, each of said plurality of ink jetting actuators being addressable, said printhead including a plurality of address lines for facilitating selection of one or more of said plurality of ink jetting actuators, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a notice threshold that is associated with a corresponding amount of ink remaining in said consumable;

providing control logic for selectively controlling said plurality of address lines;

determining whether said amount of ink remaining in said consumable has reached said notice threshold; and

upon reaching said notice threshold, reducing an image density of images formed by said printhead by selectively masking at least one of said plurality of address lines,

wherein when it is determined that said at least one of said plurality of address lines is to be masked, a number of individual address lines of said plurality of address lines selected to be masked will change depending upon a position of said printhead along said main scan path.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of choosing an address mask pattern based on said position of said printhead along said main scan path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said address mask pattern is an address order sequence of said printhead.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said address mask pattern is a sequence for minimizing fluidic interference among adjacent ones of said plurality of printhead nozzles.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of choosing said address mask pattern is further based on a bit sequence of imaging data at each said position of said printhead along said main scan path.