Marking replaceable resource units within printing devices

• US 20060098084A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Quintin T., Payne, David M., Allyn, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/230
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• 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: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material

Abstract

A marking beam of electromagnetic energy is generated within a printing device and a visibly markable portion of a replaceable subsystem that is at least partially arranged within the printing device is altered by illuminating at least part of the markable portion with the marking beam.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a marking beam of electromagnetic energy within a printing device;

altering a visibly markable portion of a replaceable subsystem that is at least partially arranged within the printing device by illuminating at least part of the markable portion with the marking beam.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the marking beam further includes directing the marking beam in at least one direction within the printing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein directing the marking beam further includes moving at least a portion of the replaceable subsystem with respect to the at least one direction before or while altering the markable portion using the marking beam.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the replaceable subsystem includes a toner cartridge and wherein moving the at least a portion of the replaceable subsystem further includes performing alienation of the toner cartridge before or while altering the markable portion.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein altering the markable portion includes illuminating a first area of the markable portion, and further comprising:

directing the marking beam in at least a second direction within the printing device to illuminate a second area of the markable portion of the replaceable subsystem.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein directing the marking beam further includes controllably moving a source within printing device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein moving the source within printing device includes moving the source in two dimensions with respect to the markable portion.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein directing the marking beam further includes directing the marking beam using at least one beam directing mechanism.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one beam directing mechanism includes at least one beam directing mechanism selected from among a group of beam directing mechanisms comprising a reflecting mechanism, a refracting mechanism, a magnifying mechanism, a lens mechanism, a filter mechanism, a mirror mechanism, a fiber optic mechanism, a waveguide mechanism, and a focusing mechanism.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one beam directing mechanism is further configured as a shutter mechanism for a source of the marking beam.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein directing the marking beam further includes causing the at least one beam directing mechanism to move the marking beam in at least one dimension with respect to the markable portion.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the marking beam further includes causing a laser within the printing device to generate the marking beam.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising causing the printing device to print using the laser.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the laser is configured to output a beam having a first level of intensity when the laser is used to print, the first level of intensity being different than a marking level of intensity of the marking beam.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the marking beam further includes causing at least one light emitting diode within the printing device to generate the marking beam.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the markable portion includes markable material that is arranged on at least one surface of the replaceable subsystem.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the markable material is arranged on the at least one surface using an applied label.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the replaceable subsystem includes a toner cartridge.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the visibly markable portion is configured to be visible to a machine once marked by the marking beam.

20. A printing device comprising:

a housing;

a replaceable resource unit that is at least partially arranged within the housing, the replaceable resource unit having a visibly markable portion;

a beam directing unit arranged within the housing and configured to illuminate at least part of the markable portion using a marking beam of electromagnetic energy.

21. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the beam directing unit is configured to direct the marking beam in at least one direction within the printing device.

22. The printing device as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a resource unit engaging unit arranged within the housing and configured to move at least a portion of the replaceable subsystem with respect to the at least one direction before or while the beam directing unit illuminates the part of the markable portion.

23. The printing device as recited in claim 22, wherein the replaceable subsystem includes a toner cartridge and wherein the resource unit engaging unit is configured to performing alienation of the toner cartridge before or while the beam directing unit illuminates the part of the markable portion.

24. The printing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the beam directing unit is configured to direct the marking beam in the at least one direction within the printing device to illuminate a first area of the markable portion, and to direct the marking beam in at a second direction within the printing device to illuminate a second area of the markable portion of the replaceable subsystem.

25. The printing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the beam directing unit includes a source configured to output the marking beam and the beam directing unit is configured to controllably position the source.

26. The printing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the beam directing unit is configured to controllably position the source in two dimensions with respect to the markable portion.

27. The printing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the beam directing unit includes a source configured to output the marking beam and at least one beam directing mechanism arranged to direct the marking beam in the at least one direction.

28. The printing device as recited in claim 27, wherein the at least one beam directing mechanism includes at least one beam directing mechanism selected from among a group of beam directing mechanisms comprising a reflecting mechanism, a refracting mechanism, a magnifying mechanism, a lens mechanism, a filter mechanism, a mirror mechanism, a fiber optic mechanism, a waveguide mechanism, and a focusing mechanism.

29. The printing device as recited in claim 27, wherein the at least one beam directing mechanism is further configured as a shutter mechanism for the source.

30. The printing device as recited in claim 27, wherein the at least one beam directing mechanism is configured to move the marking beam in at least one dimension with respect to the markable portion.

31. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the beam directing unit includes a laser configured to output the marking beam.

32. The printing device as recited in claim 31, wherein the laser is further configured for use by the printing device to print.

33. The printing device as recited in claim 32, wherein the laser is configured to output a beam having a first level of intensity when the laser is used to print, the first level of intensity being different than a marking level of intensity of the marking beam.

34. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the beam directing unit includes a light emitting diode configured to output the marking beam.

35. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the markable portion includes markable material that is arranged on at least one surface of the replaceable resource unit.

36. The printing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the markable material is arranged on the at least one surface using an applied label.

37. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the replaceable resource unit includes a toner cartridge.

38. The printing device as recited in claim 20, wherein the visibly markable portion is configured to be visible to a machine once marked by the marking beam.

39. A printing device comprising:

means for generating a marking beam of electromagnetic energy;

means for directing the marking beam to illuminate at least part of a markable portion of a replaceable subsystem when the replaceable subsystem is at least partially arranged within the printing device to thereby visibly alter the markable portion.

40. The printing device as recited in claim 39, further comprising:

means for selectively moving at least a portion of the replaceable subsystem when the replaceable subsystem is at least partially arranged within the printing device.