DE10040456A1 - Memory label attached to replaceable component of printer, scanner, copier, facsimile, collects data on printer usage data for manufacturer of component - Google Patents

Abstract

Memory label preferably RFID memory label is fixed to exchangeable unit e.g. toner cassette. Label contains memory, processor, antenna winding and operates with interrogator device, in the printer, which contactlessly reads or writes to label. Memory contains e.g. page count value, brand name for other exchangeable components in printer maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum humidity.

Description

This invention relates generally to interchangeable Printing device components and especially on replacement bare printing device components that have a memory point.

Several types of printing devices, such as. B. Drucker, Ko Piers, facsimile devices, etc., have interchangeable compos elements built into the same, which have a Le life cycle, during which the component is functional. When the working life cycle det, the component is replaced by a new component swaps. Examples of interchangeable components for printing devices include ink cartridges, toner cartridges, Tape cassettes, fixing devices or fusers, photoconductors, Drums and the like.

Having a replaceable component the end of its radio life cycle, it can be recycled celt or be recycled. Recycling a compo nente means that the user is an exhausted component to the manufacturer at the end of the life cycle of the com component. Then the manufacturer can use the components eliminate them safely. In addition, parts of the he scooped component that the manufacturer provides Would like to use in new components and thereby reduced the amount of waste. Toner cartridges can if by the original manufacturer or by a other toner cartridge vendors are renewed so that the Toner cartridge can be reused.

Cassettes can be made with a cassette memory be integrated into the same or in one  Cassette label is added. This memory is ver uses to store printer-related data that the Printer reads to determine certain printing parameters and to communicate information to the user. At for example, the memory can store the model number of the cassette save it so that the printer can use the cartridge as a cartridge can recognize the compatible with this particular printer is. In addition, the cassette memory can, for example the expected number of pages from the cartridge is printed during a life cycle, save, which enables the printer to determine how many additional pages can be printed through the cassette nen.

This advance in technology can be combined with the Recycling processes used to make a printer compo to give manufacturers the opportunity to Collecting feedback or a reaction from customers about how the component was used.

Such information is for printer component manufacturers very valuable as they help you to change the conditions under which their products are used. This Information can then be used in the design and manufacture of new printing devices are used to take such Conditions to work more efficiently.

Printer manufacturers are currently on processes such as. B. Kun the surveys, instructed to collect information. Customer surveys are, if the same in ge written form, but only by one small percentage of customers completed and returned sends. The printer manufacturer cannot rely on it leave such a small record of all or almost all printer users are absolutely accurate.

Customer surveys can be conducted by personally interviewing Customers regarding the conditions under which their printers  operated, carried out. Besides that this is an intolerable expense in most circumstances the customer can continue to provide certain information, such as B. temperature and humidity extremes, among which his printer is operated, do not know.

The object of the present invention is a Method of creating a printer and a toner cartridge, which is a gathering of information on the use of interchangeable components in printing devices lichen.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1, a printer according to claim 9 and a toner cartridge according to Claim 17 solved.

A printing system uses a memory that is in an out interchangeable component is integrated to printing device save usage information. The manufacturers or the restorer will recover the information if the component is returned for recycling. The information Mations are used to make printers and printer components optimize for use under such conditions.

During the operation of the printer, the printer can be configured be specific to certain usage information in the Record component memory. The information can change the length of print jobs created by the printer be carried out. The explicit length of each Print job can be recorded, or the printer can be configured to just one record or keep a record of how many short, medium and long print jobs while using the components te relative to a specific page count for each length a print job.

The printer can also handle temperature and humidity Sensors should be equipped during ambient conditions  monitor the operation of the printer. The temperature and Extreme moisture levels that occur during printer operation can be measured, can be recorded in the component memory be net.

A printer manufacturer may also want to know te what brands of interchangeable components in the Printers are used. The printer or the cassette can configured to be the interchangeable brand name to detect its component used in the printer and this information in the component memory record. The printer manufacturer can use this information use to address marketing deficiencies caused by analysis of Infor mations can be discovered to tackle.

The above list is not intended to limit the type of information zen, which are recorded in the component memory can. Other such information can be a contract plexity assessment for each print job, the time it is required to print or print each print job which include similar usage data.

When the component is returned to the manufacturer for recycling is given, the usage information from the Read component memory before the component is recycled becomes. The data received from the component can design, manufacture and market following printers manufactured by the manufacturer and / or sold.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are appended below with reference to the Drawings explained in more detail. Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a laser printer.

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a laser printer toner cartridge;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a printer; and

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method to record and retrieve printer usage data from a replaceable printing device component.

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a laser printer 30, in which the present invention may be implemented. The invention may also be implemented in other units using printing devices, such as e.g. B. scanners (scanners), photocopiers, facsimile machines and the like. For purposes of discussion, the invention is described in the context of laser printers.

Fig. 2 shows a toner cartridge 32 that is installed in the laser printer 30. The toner cartridge 32 has a label 34 that contains information that the toner cartridge 32 identifies to a user. The label 34 typically shows the name of the manufacturer, the model number of the cassette, etc. Although the invention is shown and described herein as a printer toner cartridge for a laser printer, it should be noted that the invention can be embodied as any interchangeable component (toner cartridge, ink cartridge, fixer, drum, etc.) that is incorporated into a printing device (printer , Copier, fax machine etc.) can be installed.

A memory label 36 is positioned below the label 34 on the toner cartridge 32 , although it is obvious that the memory label 36 may be placed on the toner cartridge 32 at any position that is practical for the purposes described herein. The memory label 34 is preferably a radio frequency identification (RFID = Radio Frequency Identification) memory label. The RFID memory tags and RFID applications are well known in the art. Other aspects of the structure of the RFID memory label 36 and its functionality in the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

Figure 3 shows printer 30 with a toner cartridge 32 installed therein. The cartridge is replaceable and can therefore be removed and replaced by another toner cartridge (not shown). The toner cartridge 32 includes the storage label 36 and a toner supply 38 .

As previously mentioned, memory label 36 is an RFID memory label, although it should be appreciated that memory label 36 may include other types of memory known in the art, such as e.g. B. a conventional semiconductor memory, a magnetic stripe etc.

The RFID memory label 36 has a memory 40 , a processor 42 and an antenna coil 44 . The RFID memory tag 36 is designed to operate in conjunction with an interrogator, also known as an interrogator. An interrogator is a device that reads out from the memory tag 36 or writes to the memory tag 36th Examples of interrogators include a memory label reader or scanner, a memory label writer that stores data in the memory label 36 , and the like. In the vorlie example, the laser printer 30 includes an interrogator 46 .

The interrogator emits a radio frequency field that provides power to the memory label 36 via the antenna coil 44 . The memory label 36 therefore does not require its own power supply, which is a feature that contributes to the effort efficiency or cost efficiency and the practical applicability of an RFID memory for the memory label 36 .

Communication between an interrogator and an RFID memory tag is transmitted and received via the radio frequency field and antenna coil 44 using the standard RFID method and protocol, as is known in ISO 14443 and ISO 15693. Therefore, physical contact between the memory label 36 and the printer 30 is not required for the printer 30 to communicate with the memory label 36 .

The memory 40 has a plurality of printer usage data parameters stored therein. These printer usage data parameters include page count 48 , brand name 50 , maximum temperature 52, minimum temperature 54, maximum humidity 56, and minimum humidity 58 .

The page count 48 stores the length of print jobs performed by the printer. The toner cartridge 32 includes a page count 60 to count the number of pages printed by the toner cartridge 32 . It should be noted that although the page counter is shown as part of the toner cartridge 32 , the page counter 60 may be positioned within the printer 30 . The explicit length of each print job can be recorded, or the printer can be configured to only get a record of how many short, medium, and long print jobs are performed using the component relative to a particular page count for each length of a print job . For example, a short print job can be a print job that prints less than five pages, a medium print job can be a print job that prints five to ten pages, and a long print job can be a print job that prints more than ten pages to be printed.

Brand name 50 stores the name of the manufacturer that creates other interchangeable components that are present in printer 30 . Printer 30 includes a fuser 62 with a brand name 64 and a drum 66 with a brand name 68 . Printer 30 also includes a brand name identifier 70 that is configured to include other interchangeable components, such as. B. fixer 62 and drum 66 , and to record the brand names 64 , 68 of each component in the brand names 50 of the memory 40 .

Printer 30 also includes an ambient air temperature sensor 72 and a relative humidity sensor 74 that monitor the temperature and relative humidity of the air around printer 30 when printer 30 is in operation. The ambient air temperature sensor 72 stores a current temperature 76 and the relative humidity sensor 74 stores a current relative humidity 78 .

It should be noted that although the functional components of the printing system 40 are shown in specific positions, the functional components can be positioned in the printer 30 , the toner cartridge 32 , the computer 66 or the vendor system 74 , provided that the functionality of the printing system 40 is retained .

Fig. 4 shows a method for recording and retrieving printer usage data from a removable printing device. The method begins with step 100 when the user installs the toner cartridge 32 in the printer 30 . At step 102 , the brand name identifier 70 queries printer 30 to determine if there are other removable components in printer 30 . If there are other removable components in printer 30 ("YES" branch, step 102 ), brand name identifier 70 identifies the brand name of each of the replaceable components (step 104 ). The brand names 50 of the other removable components (fixer 62 ; drum 66 ) are then stored in memory 40 .

After the brand names 50 are identified and stored in the memory 40 , the printing process using the toner cartridge 32 begins in step 108 . As soon as a print job is carried out using the toner cartridge 32 , the page counter 60 determines how many pages are in the print job (step 110 ). During the print job, at a step 112, the ambient air temperature sensor 72 measures the air temperature around the printer 30 and maintains the measurement as the current temperature 76. At the same time, the relative humidity sensor 74 measures the relative humidity of the air around the printer 30 and maintains the measurement as the current one relative humidity 78 in the store.

At step 114 , the page count 48 is stored in memory 40 . A step 116 shows that the current temperature 76 is recorded as the maximum temperature 52 when the current temperature 76 exceeds the maximum temperature 52 stored in the memory 40 . If, at step 118, the current temperature 72 is less than the minimum temperature 54, then the current temperature 76 is recorded as the minimum temperature 54 .

At step 120 , the current relative humidity 78 is recorded as the maximum relative humidity 56 when the current relative humidity 78 exceeds the maximum relative humidity 56 stored in the memory 40 . If the current relative humidity 78 is less than the minimum relative humidity 58 stored in memory 40 , the current relative humidity 56 is recorded as the minimum relative humidity 58 (step 122 ).

If the toner supply 38 is not exhausted, more print jobs are executed in step 108 ("NO" branch, step 118 ). At step 126 , the user removes the toner cartridge 32 from the printer 30 when the toner supply 38 is exhausted. The user returns the toner cartridge 32 to the toner cartridge manufacturer at step 128 . The toner cartridge manufacturer recovers the data stored in the toner cartridge 32 (step 130 ) and uses the data to optimize other printers based on the recovered data (step 124 ).

Although the invention is described in a language that for structural features and other procedural steps is specific, it is obvious that the invention that is defined in the appended claims, not necessarily specific features or steps described is limited. Rather, the specific features and Steps as preferred forms of implementing the bean claimed invention disclosed. It should also be noted that the process by a human or by a preacher tion or by a combination thereof can.

Claims (21)

1. The method in a printing device ( 30 ), which has a replaceable component ( 32 ) with a component memory ( 40 ), which is integrated therein, the method comprising the following steps:
Storing print device usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) in the component memory ( 40 ) after the replaceable component ( 32 ) is installed in the print device ( 30 ); and
Retrieving printer device usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) from component memory ( 40 ) after removable component ( 32 ) is removed from printer device ( 30 ). The method of claim 1, further comprising using the device usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) retrieved from the component memory ( 40 ) to optimize settings in a second device. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing device ( 30 ) performs multiple print jobs, each print job consisting of a number of pages, and wherein the usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) the number of the pages of each print job. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the printing device ( 30 ) has at least one removable component ( 62 , 66 ) with a brand name ( 64 , 68 ), and wherein the usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) have the brand name ( 64 , 68 ) of the removable component ( 62 , 66 ). 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the printing device ( 30 ) is used during operating periods, and in which the usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) at least one environmental condition ( 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ), which is present during the operating periods. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) are periodically stored during the operating periods at predetermined intervals. 7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the ambient condition ( 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has an ambient air temperature ( 52 , 54 ). 8. The method of claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the ambient condition ( 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has a relative humidity ( 56 , 58 ) in air around the printing device ( 30 ). 9. Printer ( 30 ) with the following features:
at least one interchangeable component ( 32 ) that is installable and removable from the same, the interchangeable component ( 32 ) having a component memory ( 40 ) integrated therein;
a storage device ( 46 ) configured to store printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) in the component memory ( 40 ); and
an interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) configured to interrogate the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ). 10. A printer ( 30 ) according to claim 9, wherein
the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) is a number of pages printed on a print job; and
the interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) has a page counter (60) configured to count the number of pages printed in a print job. 11. A printer ( 30 ) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein
the printer further includes at least one removable component ( 32 ) with a brand name ( 50 );
the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) includes the brand name ( 50 ) of the removable component ( 32 ); and
the interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) has a component identifier ( 70 ) configured to identify the brand name ( 50 ) of the removable component ( 32 ). 12. A printer ( 30 ) according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein
the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) is an ambient air temperature ( 76 ); and
the interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) has a temperature sensor ( 72 ) configured to measure the ambient air temperature. 13. A printer ( 30 ) according to claim 12, wherein
the component memory ( 40 ) contains a minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) and a maximum ambient air temperature ( 56 );
the temperature sensor ( 72 ) measures a current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) during operating periods;
the storage device ( 46 ) is configured to store the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) as the minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) when the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) is lower than the minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ) and to store the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) as the maximum ambient air temperature ( 52 ) when the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) is higher than the maximum ambient air temperature ( 52 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ). 14. A printer ( 30 ) according to any one of claims 9 to 13, in which
the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has a relative humidity of the air around the printer ( 78 ); and
the interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) includes a humidity sensor ( 74 ) configured to measure the relative humidity. 15. A printer ( 30 ) according to claim 14, wherein
the component memory ( 40 ) contains a minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) and a maximum relative humidity ( 56 );
the humidity sensor ( 74 ) measures a current relative humidity ( 78 ) during the operating periods;
the storage device ( 46 ) is configured to store the current relative humidity ( 78 ) as the minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) when the current relative humidity ( 78 ) is lower than the minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) stored in the component memory (40) is stored, and the current relative humidity (78) to be stored as the maximum relative humidity (56) when the cur rent relative humidity (78) is higher than the maxi male relative humidity (56) in the Component memory ( 40 ) is stored. 16. Printer ( 30 ) according to one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the component memory ( 40 ) has a high-frequency identification (RFID) memory ( 36 ). 17. A toner cartridge ( 32 ) which can be installed in and removed from a laser printer ( 30 ), the toner cartridge ( 32 ) having the following features:
a memory ( 40 ) configured to store printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) received by an interrogator ( 60 , 70 , 72 , 74 ) stored in the laser printer ( 30 ) is positioned. The toner cartridge ( 32 ) according to claim 17, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has a page count ( 48 ) received from a page counter (60) in the printer ( 30 ) which maintains a page count ( 48 ) which is the number of pages printed in a print job using the toner cartridge ( 32 ). The toner cartridge ( 32 ) according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has the brand name ( 50 ) of a replaceable component ( 32 ) derived from a brand name identifier ( 70 ) is received in the laser printer ( 30 ) configured to identify a brand name ( 50 ) of a replaceable component ( 32 ) that is present in the laser printer ( 30 ). The toner cartridge ( 32 ) according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) is an ambient air temperature ( 76 ) obtained from an air temperature sensor ( 72 ) in the laser printer ( 30 ) is received, which measures the temperature of the air around the laser printer ( 30 ). 21. A toner cartridge ( 32 ) according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 ) has a relative humidity ( 78 ), which from a relative humidity sensor ( 74 ) in the laser printer ( 30 ) is received, which measures the relative humidity of the air around the laser printer ( 30 ).