Thermal print head usage monitor and method for using the monitor

• US 9,296,214 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunsberger, Alvin Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAM S
• Application Number:
  US10/997,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,143 Days
• Field of Search: 347/7, 347/9, 347/19, 347/5, 347/14, 347/86, 347/10, 347/175, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/355 Control circuits for heating-element selection

Abstract

A data acquisition unit for use in monitoring print head activity and collecting corresponding data for product analysis is disclosed. A method of using the data acquisition unit is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A print head comprising:

a print head driver circuit;

at least one memory configured to store data;

a data acquisition unit integrated with the print head, said data acquisition unit comprising a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller comprises a dedicated interrupt that is edge sensitive per each active low transition of a print head latch signal, wherein the print head latch signal is active once per each print line.

2. The print head of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, in response to processing the interrupt, increments a printer line counter value.

3. The print head of claim 2, wherein the printer line counter value is stored in the at least one memory of the print head.

4. The print head of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition unit, in response to the microcontroller processing the interrupt, samples data channels conveying information from the print head.

5. The print head of claim 4, wherein the data channels conveying information from the print head comprise a thermistor signal and a thermal head voltage signal.

6. The print head of claim 5, wherein the sampled data from the thermistor signal and the thermal head voltage signal are stored in the at least one memory.

7. The print head of claim 1, further comprising a printer power module configured to determine an amount of power used to operate the print head.

8. The print head of claim 7, wherein the data acquisition unit, in response to the microcontroller processing the interrupt, samples a data channel conveying amount of power used to operate the print head.

9. The print head of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to monitor a clock signal, a latch signal, a strobe signal, a thermistor signal, and a voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal is the operating voltage of the thermal print head.

10. The print head of claim 9, further comprising an external interface, wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to send data to the external interface.

11. The print head of claim 10, wherein data sent from the external interface to a remote operating system is encrypted.

12. A method of operating a print head comprising:

receiving at a microcontroller of a data acquisition unit a low transition of a print head latch signal, wherein the print head latch signal is active once per each print line;

processing the low transition of the print head latch signal as an interrupt;

incrementing a printer line counter value in response to processing the low transition of the print head latch signal; and

storing the printer line counter value in a memory on the print head.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sampling data channels conveying information from the print head in response to processing the interrupt.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data channels conveying information from the print head comprise a thermistor signal and a thermal head voltage signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the information from the sampled data channels in the memory on the printhead.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an amount of power used to operate the print head.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring a clock signal, a latch signal, a strobe signal, a thermistor signal, and a voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal is the operating voltage of the thermal print head.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending data from the data acquisition unit to an external interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

encrypting the data and sending the encrypted data from the external interface.