Network printer system

• US 9,229,363 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apex Semiconductor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Static Control Components Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Thacker, William Eli, Burchette, Lynton R., Babish, Scott M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANGHERA, JAS A
• Application Number:
  US14/531,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20150050035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0856 Detection or control means for the developer level
• 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 15/5079 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 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement

Abstract

Electronic systems, such as printing systems, often use components that have integral memory. The integral memory can be used to store information about the component. In some printing systems this memory includes a portion that stores a value indicative of a print yield. Disclosed is a method and system for allowing the memory to have data indicative of an increased print yield.

Claims

1. A method for determining an accurate amount of consumable in a print cartridge, wherein the print cartridge has a cartridge identification associated therewith and the print cartridge has an expected print yield that is different than an expected print yield of a standard yield cartridge manufactured for use in the printing device, the method comprising:

determining that a print cartridge installed in a printing device has an identifier associated therewith;

determining an amount of consumable that is loaded in the print cartridge based on the identifier, wherein the amount of consumable loaded in the print cartridge is a predetermined quantity different than a standard amount of consumable loaded in a standard yield cartridge; and

determining an amount of consumable remaining in the print cartridge by increasing an amount of consumable that would be remaining in the print cartridge for a standard yield cartridge by the predetermined quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is stored in a memory located on the print cartridge.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier is stored in a specific location in the memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a management information base (MIB) database is utilized to identify the specific location in the memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a low consumable condition is triggered based on the determined amount of consumable remaining in the print cartridge.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a standard low consumable condition that is triggered by the printing device is ignored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is toner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is ink.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier identifies or indicates one or more parameter of the print cartridge.

10. A system for determining an accurate amount of consumable in a print cartridge, the system comprising:

a printing device having a print cartridge loaded therein, wherein the print cartridge has an identifier associated therewith, wherein the print cartridge has an actual expected print yield that is a predetermined quantity different than a standard expected print yield of a standard yield cartridge manufactured for use in the printing device; and

a processor configured to;

determine the actual expected print yield based on the identifier; and

determine an amount of consumable remaining in the print cartridge by increasing an amount of consumable that would be remaining in the cartridge for a standard yield cartridge by the predetermined quantity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier is stored in a memory located on the print cartridge.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifier is stored in a specific location in the memory.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a management information base (MIB) database is utilized to identify the specific location in the memory.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a low consumable condition is triggered based on the determined amount of consumable.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a standard low consumable condition that is triggered by a printing device is ignored.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the consumable is toner.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the consumable is ink.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier identifies or indicates one or more parameter of the print cartridge.