Intelligent ribbon cartridge
First Claim
1. A ribbon cartridge, comprising:
- a housing;
a ribbon contained in the housing anda microcontroller on or in the housing configured to receive information about a dynamically changing characteristic of the ribbon from a sensor, detect a type of printer, and automatically adapt the ribbon cartridge to the printer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an intelligent printer ribbon cartridge includes a microcontroller that monitors sensors related to the ribbon cartridge for use in a line matrix printer. The ribbon cartridge contains an impact printing ribbon in the form of either a simple loop, a mobius loop, or a long strip of ribbon connected to two spools, with one spool at each end of the cartridge. The ribbon cartridge is able to monitor at least one motion sensor, process the information, and perform a suitable action or communicate an action or information to the printer. This allows the ribbon cartridge to adapt or instruct the printer to adapt with any new types of ribbons, ribbon cartridges, formats, etc. so that the printing may occur with virtually any type of ribbon/cartridge.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A ribbon cartridge, comprising:
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a housing; a ribbon contained in the housing and a microcontroller on or in the housing configured to receive information about a dynamically changing characteristic of the ribbon from a sensor, detect a type of printer, and automatically adapt the ribbon cartridge to the printer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a printer system, comprising:
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sensing, by a sensor, information about a dynamically changing characteristic of a ribbon in a ribbon cartridge from a plurality of different ribbon configurations; detecting a type of printer; communicating the information and the type of printer to a microcontroller in or on the ribbon cartridge; and automatically adapting the ribbon cartridge to the printer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification