Non-contacting communication and power interface between a printing engine and peripheral systems attached to replaceable printer component

• US 6,239,879 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hay, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLERSON, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/124,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.12, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 399/37, 399/88, 399/89, 399/90, 399/336, 355/27, 355/36, 347/86, 347/214, 347/216, 347/19
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• 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 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer

Abstract

Contactless power and communications links are established between a printer engine and a peripheral device installed on a replaceable printer component. For peripheral devices incorporated within or on the replaceable component, power is inductively transferred from a primary winding on the printer engine to an adjacent secondary winding on the replaceable component without the use of direct physical contact between electrical conductors. In addition, communications between the printer engine and at least one peripheral device on board the replaceable component are provided without making direct physical contact between electrical conductors. The communication task is accomplished in one of several ways. For a first embodiment of the invention, control signals are sent from the printer engine to the replaceable component over the inductive power coupling circuit by switching between two frequencies of alternating current applied to the primary winding on the printing engine. The frequency switching is decoded on board the replaceable component to provide control signals for the peripheral device. For communications in the opposite direction, the peripheral device may send information to the printer engine by modulating a resistive load coupled to the secondary winding. Current flow through the primary winding will vary in response to the load on the secondary winding. The variations in current flow on the printer engine side are decoded to signals which the printer engine comprehends. For a second embodiment of the invention, signals are inductively transmitted across a narrow gap. For a third embodiment of the invention, communications are handled by transmitting and receiving modulated infrared energy across a narrow gap.

Claims

1. A contactless interface between an imaging engine and a component removably attached to said imaging engine, said component having at least one onboard peripheral device which requires a source of electrical power, said interface comprising:

an alternating current source alternately operable at first and second frequencies;

a first coil onboard the imaging engine coupled directly to said alternating current source;

a second coil onboard the removable component being inductively coupled to said first coil such that a current is induced therein in response to the flow of alternating current in said first coil, said induced current being employed to power said peripheral device; and

a system for establishing data communications between said peripheral device and said imaging engine, said system having

means for modulating the frequency of the applied alternating current between said first and second frequencies in response to communications signals received from the imaging engine; and

means for decoding the frequency modulations of the induced current and delivering information thus decoded to the peripheral device.

2. The contactless interface of claim 1, wherein said means for modulating comprises a frequency select signal coupled to said alternating current source, said frequency select signal being responsive to communications signals received from said imaging engine.

3. The contactless interface of claim 1, wherein said means for decoding comprises:

a rectifier which converts the induced alternating current to DC pulses; and

A microcontroller which receives the DC pulses, samples the frequency of those pulses, and decodes the DC pulses into communications signals which are then transmitted to the peripheral device.

4. The contactless interface of claim 1, which further comprises:

means for modulating the resistive load on said second coil in response to communications signals received from said peripheral device;

means for detecting current flow variations through said first coil as a consequence of the modulating of the resistive load on said second coil;

means for decoding detected current flow variations through said first coil and into communications signals which are then transmitted to the imaging engine.

5. A contactless interface between an imaging engine and a component removably attached to said imaging engine, said component having at least one onboard peripheral device which requires a source of electrical power, said interface comprising:

an alternating current source;

a first coil onboard the imaging engine coupled directly to said alternating current source;

a second coil onboard the removable component being inductively coupled to said first coil such that a current is induced therein in response to the flow of alternating current in said first coil, said induced current being employed to power said peripheral device; and

a system for establishing data communications between said peripheral device and said imaging engine, said system relying on inductive coupling that is independent of the inductively-coupled power link provided by first and second coils.

6. The contactless interface of claim 5, wherein said system for establishing data communications comprises:

a printer-side oscillator which receives a serial enable signal responsive to communications signals issued by the imaging engine;

a printer-side transmit coil coupled to said printer-side oscillator;

a peripheral-side receive coil inductively coupled to said printer-side transmit coil when said replaceable component is attached to said imaging engine;

a peripheral-side rectifier coupled to said peripheral-side coil for rectifying current induced in said peripheral-side receive coil;

means for decoding the rectified current from said peripheral-side receive coil to produce a communication signal which can be read by and acted upon by the peripheral device.

7. The contactless interface of claim 6, wherein said means for decoding is a microprocessor coupled to both said peripheral-side rectifier and said peripheral device.

8. The contactless interface of claim 6, wherein said system for establishing communications further comprises:

a peripheral-side oscillator which receives a serial enable signal responsive to communications signals issued by the peripheral device;

a peripheral-side transmit coil coupled to said peripheral-side oscillator;

a printer-side receive coil inductively coupled to said peripheral-side transmit coil when said replaceable component is attached to said imaging engine;

a printer-side rectifier coupled to said printer-side coil for rectifying current induced in said printer-side receive coil;

means for decoding the rectified current from said printer-side receive coil to produce a communication signal which can be read by and acted upon by the peripheral device.

9. The contactless interface of claim 8, wherein said means for decoding is a microprocessor coupled to both said peripheral-side rectifier and said peripheral device.

10. The contactless interface of claim 5, wherein said system for establishing data communications comprises a first electromagnetic radiation communications link which provides unidirectional coupling of communication signals from imaging engine electronics to peripheral device electronics when said replaceable component is attached to said imaging engine.

11. The contactless interface of claim 10, wherein said system for establishing data communications further comprises a second electromagnetic radiation communications link which provides unidirectional coupling of communication signals from peripheral device electronics to imaging engine electronics when said replaceable component is attached to said imaging engine.

12. The contactless interface of claim 11, wherein said first and second electromagnetic radiation links operate in the infrared frequency band.

13. The contactless interface of claim 12, wherein said first and second electromagnetic radiation links operate in a serial data mode.

14. The contactless interface of claim 13, wherein first and second infrared radiation communication links are implemented as a first transceiver on the printer side and a second transceiver on the peripheral side, said first transceiver comprising a printer-side light-emitting diode and a printer-side light-receptor diode, both printer-side diodes being coupled to printer control logic via a first gate array and a first microcontroller, and said second transceiver comprising a peripheral-side light-emitting diode and a peripheral-side light-receptor diode, both peripheral-side diodes being coupled to peripheral control logic via a second gate array and a second microcontroller, said first and second gate arrays performing both serial to parallel and parallel to serial data conversions.

15. A contactless interface between an imaging engine and a component removably attached to said imaging engine, said component having at least one onboard peripheral device which requires both a source of electrical power and communications with said imaging engine, said interface comprising:

an alternating current source;

a first coil onboard the imaging engine coupled directly to said alternating current source;

a second coil onboard the removable component, said second coil having a resistive load and being inductively coupled to said first coil such that a current is induced therein in response to the flow of alternating current in said first coil, said induced current being employed to power said peripheral device; and

a system for establishing data communications between said peripheral device and said imaging engine, wherein said resistive load is modulated in response to communication signals from said peripheral device, and variations in current flow through said first coil are detected and decoded so as to recreate the communication signals from said peripheral device, which recreated signals are transmitted to the imaging engine.

16. A contactless interface between an imaging engine and a component removably attached to said imaging engine, said component having at least one onboard peripheral device which requires both a source of electrical power and communications with said imaging engine, said interface comprising:

an alternating current source;

a first coil onboard the imaging engine coupled directly to said alternating current source;

a second coil onboard the removable component, said second coil having a resistive load and being inductively coupled to said first coil such that a current is induced therein in response to the flow of alternating current in said first coil, said induced current being employed to power said peripheral device; and

a system for establishing data communications having at least one inductive link independent of the inductively-coupled power link provided by said first and second coils.