Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2002-10-29
Braun, Fred L (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06473571
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to cartridges, such as particle or liquid dispenser containers, and more specifically, to communicating cartridges, that is, “smart” toner and replenisher cartridges and similar intelligent articles or devices, and printing systems and printing processes incorporating the intelligent cartridges. The cartridges of the present invention can be adapted to provide value-added features and enhanced performance capabilities to known stand-alone, clustered, and net-worked printing devices. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing a customer, a user, or an operator with useful or helpful marketing oriented informational messages, for example, a promotional message or messages, or a reorder message or messages, and combined informational and promotional messages, or multiple messages. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing a customer or user-operator with useful or helpful cartridge handling or installation oriented informational messages, for example, instructions for shaking or agitating the cartridge for a proper or prescribed time duration or in a particular fashion, or additionally or alternatively, provide a user or an operator with a signal or equivalent message that the cartridge has been properly activated, for example, by removal of a protective seal or seals, or by sufficient agitation of the cartridge contents, such as a developer, to permit proper installation of the cartridge in a machine and to assure proper machine operation. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing an appropriately configured printing or copying machine, for example, with information about the contents of the cartridge, with information about the readiness state of the cartridge contents, or with information about the suitability or compatibility of a particular cartridge with a particular printing or copying machine, for example, a machine adapted to receive a message or signal information from an intelligent cartridge of the present invention. The present invention also relates to a system for controlling replaceable modules, also known as “customer replaceable units” or CRUs, for example in a digital printing apparatus, such as a digital electrophotographic printer or copier. These and other embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein.
In a typical electrostatographic printing system, a light image or digital image of an original to be reproduced is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles which are commonly referred to as toner. The visible toner image is then in a loose powdered form and can be easily disturbed or destroyed. The toner image is usually fixed or fused upon a support which may be the photosensitive member itself or another support sheet such as plain paper. Other related marking technologies are known, for example, liquid immersion development, and solid or liquid ink jet imaging technologies wherein a liquid, solid, molten, sublimed, and the like marking formulations are deposited onto an imaging member, imaging intermediate member, or image receiver and wherein the marking or imaging material is typically conveniently packaged for end-user or operator installation. Thus it is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the present invention are readily adaptable to other marking formulations and other marking materials, and related consumable materials, such as, replenishers, photoreceptors, fuser rolls, backer rolls, fuser oils, cleaning formulations, papers or transparency stock, such as high quality or specialty receivers, “T”-shirt transfers, and the like machine consumable materials.
In embodiments, the communicating cartridges and the like intelligent packaging of the present invention provides unexpected benefits and superior satisfaction levels to end-use customers or operators, for example, in facilitating positive use experience and avoiding negative use or “trouble” experience, for example, avoiding materials waste or machine damage or downtime and productivity losses associated therewith that results from wrong or improper consumables selection or installation. These and other advantages of the present invention are illustrated herein.
PRIOR ART
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,918, issued Nov. 26, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,108, issued Feb. 7, 1995, both to Crowell, there is disclosed an integrated circuit constructed for recording, retaining, and delivering an audible message upon demand and securely retaining the circuit means in a housing, a unique, multi-purpose, audible message delivery system is attained for use either independently or in cooperative relationship with a plurality of alternate products. In the preferred embodiment, the integrated circuit is constructed to provide ease of message re-recording upon demand. In this way, any desired message can be substituted for an existing message whenever desired. As a result, repeated use of the audible message delivery system is realized, with the system being used independently or in association with other products, such as picture frames, medicine packages, folders, notebooks, etc. In this way, specific messages can be easily transmitted between individuals in a manner previously unattainable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,594, issued Jun. 20, 1995, to Wright, et al., there is disclosed an electronic greeting card communication system (100) which includes a first personal communicator (102), an electronic mail server (136), and a second personal communicator (102). The first personal communicator accepts off-line selection of an electronic greeting card from a user (502), and then transmits a request message corresponding to the off-line selection. The electronic mail server (136) receives the request message and then wireless transmits an electronic greeting card message to the second personal communicator (102) and updates billing information (620) for billing the user of the first personal communicator (102). The second personal communicator (102) selectively receives the wireless transmitted electronic greeting card message and presents it to a user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,035, issued Jul. 18, 1995, to Bauer, there is disclosed an entertainment card device such as a baseball trading card or a music rock star trading card comprising a flat, rectangular card including a touch sensitive element for sound activation. Replaceable electrical power batteries are mounted within the card. The touch sensitive element is activated by simply touching a surface area of the front side of the flat rectangular card. The entertainment card device further includes entertainment pictures such as of sports figures or music rock star images.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,558, issued Apr. 26, 1983, to Bearden, there is disclosed a talking greeting card with a front display panel and overlapping rear panels adapted to lie substantially flat in one configuration. The front panel may be bowed in convex shape and held in such second configuration by tabs which secure the rear panels together in tension. A flexible sound record strip extends through a slot in the bowed front panel and has a surface prepared to produce sounds when a sliding element, such as the thumb nail of a user, moves along the surface. The sound is amplified by the bowed front wall and overlapping rear walls which act as a sound amplifier.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,767, issued Aug. 22, 1995, to Goetcheus, et al., there is disclosed systems and methods for recording and delivering personalized audio messages. The system includes a central facility computer system (CF), a store front programming system (SFS), and a portable playback device (PPD). When a customer desires to send a personalized message to another person, the customer communicates via a telecommuni
Kittelberger J. Stephen
Wegman Paul M.
Braun Fred L
Thompson Robert
Xerox Corporation
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