Image forming devices, methods of operating an image forming device and methods of monitoring an environment proximate to an image forming device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image forming device comprising:
- an image engine configured to form hard images;
an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition;
an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device;
a memory; and
processing circuitry configured to control storage of the data using the memory to provide a history comprising a plurality of values of the at least one environmental condition to which the image forming device has been exposed at a plurality of different moments in time.
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Abstract
Image forming devices, methods of operating an image forming device, and methods of monitoring an environment proximate to an image forming device are described. One aspect provides an image forming device including an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; and an interface configured to communicate the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An image forming device comprising:
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an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; a memory; and processing circuitry configured to control storage of the data using the memory to provide a history comprising a plurality of values of the at least one environmental condition to which the image forming device has been exposed at a plurality of different moments in time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an image forming device, the method comprising:
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providing an image forming device configured to form hard images; sensing at least one environmental condition of an environment proximate to the image forming device; communicating data regarding the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; receiving a request within the image forming device from a source external of the image forming device, and the communicating comprises communicating responsive to the receiving; and wherein the providing comprises providing the image forming device configured to use a consumable to form hard images, and the communicating comprises storing the data regarding the at least one environmental condition using the consumable. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of monitoring an environment proximate to an image forming device configured to form hard images, the method comprising:
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providing an image forming device configured to form hard images and to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to communicate data regarding the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; receiving the data regarding the at least one environmental condition from the image forming device; and analyzing the data regarding the at least one environmental condition after the receiving to determine a quantitative parameter for the at least one environmental condition for testing other image forming devices. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An image forming device comprising:
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an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; and wherein the image engine is configured to use a consumable to form the hard images, and the interface comprises a memory of the consumable. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. An image forming device testing method comprising:
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providing a first image forming device to be tested; accessing a history comprising data indicative of at least one environmental condition to which at least one second image forming device has been exposed; determining at least one testing criteria responsive to the accessing of the history; and testing the first image forming device using the testing criteria after the determining.
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28. An image forming device comprising:
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an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; a memory; processing circuitry configured to control storage of the data using the memory to provide a history of the at least one environmental condition to which the image forming device has been exposed; and wherein the image engine is configured to use a consumable to form the hard images, and the interface comprises a memory of the consumable.
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29. An image forming device comprising:
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an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; a memory; processing circuitry configured to control storage of the data using the memory to provide a history of the at least one environmental condition to which the image forming device has been exposed; and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control outputting of the history externally of the image forming device.
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30. An image forming device comprising:
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an image engine configured to form hard images; an environmental sensor configured to monitor at least one environmental condition proximate to the image forming device and to provide data indicative of the at least one environmental condition; an interface configured to communicate the data indicative of the at least one environmental condition externally of the image forming device; a memory; processing circuitry configured to control storage of the data using the memory to provide a history of the at least one environmental condition to which the image forming device has been exposed; and wherein the memory is configured to store the history prior to the image forming device being implemented for the first time to form hard images.
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Specification