Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-31
2002-02-12
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345891
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ink-jet printing systems that make use of a replaceable printing component. More particularly, the present invention relates to replaceable printing components that include an electrical storage device for providing information to the ink-jet printing system.
Ink-jet printers frequently make use of an ink-jet printhead mounted within a carriage that is moved back and forth across a print media, such as paper. As the printhead is moved across the print media, a control system activates the printhead to deposit or eject ink droplets onto the print media to form images and text. Ink is provided to the printhead by a supply of ink that is either carried by the carriage or mounted to the printing system to not move with the carriage. For the case where the ink supply is not carried with the carriage, the ink supply can be intermittently or continuously connected to the printhead for replenishing the printhead. In either case, the replaceable printing components, such as the ink container and the printhead, require periodic replacement. The ink supply is replaced when exhausted. The printhead is replaced at the end of printhead life.
It is frequently desirable to alter printer parameters concurrently with the replacement of printer components such as discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/584,499 entitled “Replaceable Part With Integral Memory For Usage, Calibration And Other Data” assigned to the assignee of the present invention. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/584,499 discloses the use of a memory device, which contains parameters relating to the replaceable part. The installation of the replaceable part allows the printer to access the replaceable part parameters to insure high print quality. By incorporating the memory device into the replaceable part and storing replaceable part parameters in the memory device within the replaceable component the printing system can determine these parameters upon installation into the printing system. This automatic updating of printer parameters frees the user from having to update printer parameters each time a replaceable component is newly installed. Automatically updating printer parameters with replaceable component parameters insures high print quality. In addition, this automatic parameter updating tends to ensure the printer is not inadvertently damaged due to improper operation, such as, operating after the supply of ink is exhausted or operation with the wrong or non-compatible printer components.
For the case where the printing system is capable of accommodating a plurality of different ink container sizes or types it is important that size or type information is transferred between the printer and the ink container in a highly reliable and efficient manner. This exchange of information should not require the intervention of the user thereby ensuring greater ease of use and greater reliability. Furthermore, it is important that the integrity of the information be preserved. Finally, the ink container should have relatively low manufacturing costs to allow low per page printing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is an ink container for providing ink to an ink-jet printer. The ink container includes an electrical storage device for providing ink container parameters to the ink-jet printer. The electrical storage device contains a configuration parameter for specifying an ink container configuration and an ink volume parameter for specifying an ink volume for the ink container.
Another aspect of the present invention is the ink volume parameter is an ink scale parameter for selecting an ink volume range from a plurality of ink volume ranges and a fill proportion parameter for specifying a fill proportion for the selected ink volume range associated with the supply of ink in the reservoir.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is the electrical storage device contains a plurality of ink volume parameters with each of the ink volume parameters corresponding to an ink volume associated with an ink chamber of a plurality of ink chambers within the ink container.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5049898 (1991-09-01), Arthur et al.
patent: 5138344 (1992-08-01), Ujita
patent: 5699091 (1997-12-01), Bullock et al.
patent: 6089687 (2000-07-01), Helterline
Bullock Michael L.
Childers Winthrop D.
Helterline Brian L.
Walker Ray A.
Sullivan Kevin B.
Vo Anh T. N.
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