Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Controller
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-11
2004-04-13
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Controller
C347S014000, C347S023000, C347S085000, C347S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06719394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device provided with the function to convert energy transmitted from the outside and communicate with the outside regarding the performance of designated operation or information, as well as provided with the function to display the contents of communication. The invention also relates to an ink tank provided with such semiconductor device, and an ink jet cartridge, and an ink jet recording apparatus as well.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device provided with the function to convert energy transmitted from the outside, and communicate with the outside regarding the performance of designated operation or information, as well as provided with the function to display the contents of communication. Further, the invention relates to communication system, a method for adjusting pressure, security system, and memory element, which utilize the aforesaid semiconductor device.
2. Related Background Art
There are many apparatuses and equipments that detect the environmental information under the environments that surround us, and then, make decision and operate in accordance with the result thus detected.
For example, a cooler detects the current environmental temperature, and compares it with the predetermined temperature. Then, when the temperature is lower than the predetermined value, the device incorporated therein operates heating or operates cooling if the detected temperature is higher on the contrary. It is comparatively easy to structure such devices by use of the conventional equipment, components, and the like.
However, even when it is extremely difficult to structure components due to the inability of securing a sufficient space with restriction imposed upon the arrangement space, while the environmental information that should be taken into account is not only temperature, but many other aspects, a designated operation should be executed with an instantaneous decision to be made in accordance with the environmental information. There are many demands in this respect, but the status quo is that due to several restrictions including those described above, these demands have not been met satisfactorily as yet.
In recent years, even in the field of microdevices the utilization of which is expected widely in many industries, a considerable number of research and development projects are underway, but there are still many more studies needed for making them practicable.
Now, as a specific example of the field in which the utilization of microdevices is required, the filed of recording can be cited.
At present, various kinds of printer systems are utilized for printing various kinds of images. Such kind of printer system is formed by connecting a data processing apparatus like a personal computer, a printing apparatus, for example. Then, the printing apparatus outputs on a recording medium, such as a printing sheet, the printing data which have been processed by data processing apparatus.
As printer apparatuses used for such kind of printing system, there are on the market various apparatus using various recording methods at present. Of those kinds of recording methods, the so-called ink jet recording method is extremely useful, because this recording method is non-impact and generates almost no noises at the time of recording, making high-speed recording possible on an ordinary paper sheet without any particular fixation treatment.
The ink jet recording is such that a carriage having a recording head mounted thereon travels in the printing direction, while discharging ink from a plurality of discharge nozzles arranged for the ink jet recording head (hereinafter, referred to simply as a recording head as the case may be), thus printing images on the recording sheet by means of dot patterns. The discharge ink for recording use is contained in an ink tank and supplied to the recording head through ink supply paths. If the ink which should be supplied no longer exists in the ink tank, not only image formation becomes impossible, but the recording head may be damaged in some cases. Therefore, various proposals have been made to provide an ink remainder detection device for detecting the remainders of ink in the ink tank.
For example, in accordance with Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-143607, the structure is disclosed in which as shown in
FIG. 1
two (a pair of) electrodes
702
are arranged on the inner face of an ink tank
701
on the bottom side where non-conductive ink is filled, and then, a float
703
having electrodes
704
arranged to face the electrodes
702
is provided to float in ink in the ink tank
701
. The two electrodes
702
are connected to the detecting section (not shown) that detects the conductive condition of both electrodes, respectively. Then, when the conductive condition of both electrodes is detected, the ink remainder error is issued to indicate that there in no more ink in the ink tank
701
, and the operation of ink jet recording head
705
is suspended.
Also, in accordance with the specification of Japanese Patent No. 2947245, the ink cartridge
805
for use of ink jet printer is disclosed, which is structured to form the lower part thereof in the funnel form toward the bottom face, and at the same time, two conductors
801
and
802
are arranged on the bottom face as shown in FIG.
2
. Then, the metallic ball
804
having a smaller gravity than ink
803
is arranged in the interior thereof. With the structure thus arranged, the liquid surface of ink
803
is lowered as ink
803
is consumed. Along with this, the position of the metallic ball
804
that floats on the surface of ink
803
is gradually lowered. When the liquid surface of ink
803
is lowered to the position of bottom face of ink cartridge housing, the metallic ball
804
is in contact with the two conductors
801
and
802
. Then, the conductors
801
and
802
become conductive to allow electric current to flow across them. With detection of such current, the condition of ink end can be detected. With the detection of ink end condition, information indicating this ink end condition is notified to the user.
There has been known each of the structures represented by those disclosed in the publications described above for the detection of ink remainders in ink tank. However, it is required for each of them to provide electrodes for use of detection in the ink tank, and at the same time, to form a connector with the outside in order to transmit detection signals. Also, for the detection of ink remainders by the conductive condition across electrodes, no metallic ion or the like is used for the ink component so as not to cause electrolysis in ink, with the result that structural restriction is imposed on the apparatus with respect to ink to be used.
Also, in accordance with the structures disclosed in the aforesaid publications, only the amount of remaining ink is detected, and no other information in the interior of ink tank is obtainable from the outside. For example, the pressure information in the ink tank, the changes of physical properties of ink, and the like are important parameters for the ink jet recording head to operate at all the time in a stable amount of ink dischargers. Thus, it is desirable to inform the external ink jet recording apparatus of the internal of tank that changes from time to time along with the consumption of ink in the tank, as well as to communicate with the outside as to the changes of physical properties of ink.
Further, it is desired to provide an ink tank which is capable of not only providing the detected information of the internal condition of ink tank on one-way for the outside, but also, capable of exchanging information bidirectionally, such as to provide the internal information in response to inquires from the outside.
Also, for the color ink jet recording apparatus that uses plural kinds of ink for the formation of color images, the structure is proposed so that ink tank is form
Imanaka Yoshiyuki
Inoue Ryoji
Ishinaga Hiroyuki
Kitabatake Kenji
Kubota Masahiko
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Stewart Jr. Charles W.
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