GB2487363A

GB2487363A - System and method for managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges

Info

Publication number: GB2487363A
Application number: GB1100757.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Anthony Gell
Original assignee: XANFEON Ltd
Current assignee: XANFEON Ltd
Priority date: 2011-01-18
Filing date: 2011-01-18
Publication date: 2012-07-25
Also published as: GB201100757D0

Abstract

A system for managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges 12 comprising a management controller 20, one or more printers 10 connected to the management controller 20, a plurality of removable printer cartridges 12 for use with the one or more printers 10; and a remanufacturing facility 30 connected to the management controller 20. The management controller 20 includes a memory 22 containing remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridges 12 and is configured to instruct the remanufacturing facility 30 to remanufacture printer cartridges 12 based on the remanufacturing history data. The management controller 20 is able to use the remanufacturing history data to optimize the remanufacturing process for a plurality of printer cartridges 12 and even using a plurality of different remanufacturing facilities 30. There is also provided a method of selecting a remanufacturer and a print cartridge 12 comprising a recording portion 14 for recording remanufacturing history data.

Description

t V.' INTELLECTUAL ..* PROPERTY OFFICE Application No. GB 1100757.2 RT1VI Date 9 May 2012 The following terms are registered trademarks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Solaris Windows Vista Intellectual Properly Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING THE REMANUFACTURE OF

PRINTER CARTRIDGES

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the remanufacture of printer cartridges, and specifically to a system and method for managing and optimising the remanufacture of multiple printer cartridges.

Background to the Invention

Each year in the UK about 15 million new toner cartridges are sold, representing a market size of about £1 billion. About 1.5 million of these cartridges are remanufactu red after their first use and resold in the market for one or more additional cycles of use. Cartridge World has recently demonstrated that a cartridge can be taken through 25 refill cycles.

A preliminary study has been carried out of the carbon footprint of two remanufactured models that shows that a new cartridge has an embodied carbon footprint of about 6 kgCO2e and a remanufactured cartridge has an embodied footprint of between 0.5 and 4 kgCO2e, depending on the materials and components replaced in a particular refill cycle. So there is a significant opportunity for diverting valuable materials (plastics/metals) away from landfill and incineration and the potential to save about 0.06 Mt CO2 per annum in the UK from toner cartridges alone.

It is well known how to remanufacture printer cartridges, although in general cartridges are rarely taken through more than about one refill cycle before they are discarded. However, for cartridges remanufactured through more than one cycle, the required remanufacturing steps are not the same every time, different components need to be replaced depending on wear. For example, the components that can typically be replaced in a toner cartridge during the remanufacturing cycle are: OPC drum, PCR, wiper blade, doctor blade, mag roller, electronic chip, and toner. The toner is always replaced because it is depleted by the user for purpose of printing. However, the other components may not necessarily be replaced within a given refill cycle. A component may last typically 2 or 3 refill cycles.

Because printers are generally not intended by their manufacturers to be used with remanufactured cartridges, and because cartridge manufacturers have little motivation to pursue extensive remanufacturing, printers do not have capability to predict the print quality that might be expected with a remanufactured cartridge that has been through several refill cycles. Although this is not a problem that has been recognised in the prior art, it is likely to become more important as users switch more to remanufactured cartridges with increasing interest in reducing carbon footprints, and as remanufacturers develop quality assurance and quality control techniques to take cartridges io routinely to high refill cycles. Although protocols exist for printer cartridge evaluation and comparison, such as those from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Standard Test Method Committee (SMTC), examples of which are protocols for 5-percent coverage for yield testing (ASTM F1856) and density and background testing (ASTM F2036), is there is at present little information available on what happens to print quality at high refill cycles (e.g. with n > 4). (The terminology being used is n=O for a new cartridge, n1 for the first refill cycle, n=2 for the second refill cycle, etc.).

Remanufacturers of small-to-medium sized cartridges are cautious about refilling cartridges more than once because they may not necessarily have information about the life history of the cartridge. They would prefer to refill only those cartridges which they have handled throughout the cartridge's aftermarket life cycle. At present the remanufacturing industry is working at about one refill cycle per cartridge, although the very large cartridges for corporate use are often refilled more than once. The view often expressed by remanufacturers is that it takes only one poor quality cartridge to cause a customer to reject remanufactured cartridges and return to using new cartridges. The way the remanufacturing industry is currently working means that the opportunity for resource conservation and avoidance of CO2 emissions through multiple refill cycles is being missed. By going to, say, four or five refill cycles per cartridge (which is easily technically achieved), significant environmental and economic benefits will accrue.

Thus, there is a requirement for technological solutions that provide remanufacturers with confidence to reuse each empty cartridge that they do acquire for more than just one refill cycle.

A growing sector is the Managed Print Services (MPS) sector, in which one MPS provider looks after the print operations (copiers, printers, ink refilling, machine maintenance, etc) of a customer. It would be desirable for an MPS provider to be able to demonstrate that it can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the delivery of its services, as this would provide the MPS provider with a differentiation over competitors. This is particularly so in the case of what is known as Enterprise Print Services (EPS), where a print services provider (e.g. Xerox Corporation) may look after the print operations through the entire global enterprise of a corporate customer.

It is increasingly being recognised that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a problem in relation to climate change. Business and industry are searching for opportunities to reduce their GHG emissions. Clients of the MPS (or EPS) providers are likely to want assurance that the MPS provider is delivering reductions in GHGs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for guiding and managing the remanufacturing and operation of one or more cartridges to very high refill cycles. It is a further object to provide a system and method that can identify potential adverse conditions which may result in significant deterioration in print performance of one or more print systems. It is also an object to provide a system and method that can use cartridge life history to detect printer malfunction or suboptimal performance, that can use cartridge history as an ID verification protocol, and that can use cartridge history to formulate Total Carbon Cost of Operation (TCCO) data.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is defined in the appended independent claims, to which reference should now be made.

In a first aspect the invention provides a system for managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges comprising: a management controller; one or more printers connected to the management controller; a plurality of removable printer cartridges for use with the one or more printers; and a remanufacturing facility connected to the management controller; s wherein the management controller includes a memory containing remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridges, and wherein the management controller is configured to instruct the remanufacturing facility to remanufacture printer cartridges based on the remanufactu ring history data.

The remanufacturing history data may include one or more of the following: the make and model of the cartridge, a unique cartridge identifier, the number of remanufacturing cycles the cartridge has been through, the components that have been replaced during each of those cycles, and the remanufacturer that performed each cycle. The history data can also include how many times the cartridge has been refilled with ink or toner, how much ink or toner was added in each cycle and by whom. The management controller may use the remanufacturing history data to calculate a carbon footprint for the printer cartridges.

Each printer cartridge may include a memory storing remanufacturing history data for that cartridge.

Preferably, each printer cartridge comprises a unique identifier. The unique identifier may be in the form of a barcode, or other marking on each printer cartridge, or may be provided in electronic form on a microchip or SIM card on each cartridge.

Preferably, the management controller stores control data including at least one control parameter, wherein the management controller is configured to instruct the remanufacturing facility based on the at least one control parameter.

The control parameter preferably comprises an estimated maximum number of remanufacturing cycles that a cartridge can go through before it is discarded, e.g. for materials recycling. The control data may comprise the components of a cartridge that need to be replaced in each remanufacturing cycle. The management controller may store a plurality of control parameters, with at least one control parameter specific to each type of printer cartridge in the system.

Different types and models of printer cartridge may be able to undergo a greater number of manufacturing cycles than others. Similarly, different types of cartridge may require different components to be replaced at different times.

The control data may include a statistically determined profile for a particular type of cartridge.

In one embodiment of the invention, the management controller is configured to update at least one control parameter based on remanufacturing data received from the remanufacturing facdity. For example, the control parameter may be the maximum number of remanufacturing cycles that a particular cartridge can undergo before performance is compromised. The remanufacturing facility may is remanufacture the cartridge beyond the maximum number of cycles, test print quality after remanufacture and report to the management controller if print quality is still acceptable. If it is still acceptable, the management controller increases the maximum number of cycles stored as the control parameter by one cycle.

The system in this embodiment of the invention is a general adaptive learning system, as the parameters that are used to control its operation are updated, i.e. learned, as the system operates. This allows the remanufacturing process to be optimised without reliance on data supplied by cartridge manufacturers and allows many different types of printer cartridge to be used and managed by the same system.

The control parameter may be used in other management tasks performed by the management controller beyond instructing the remanufactu ring facility. For example, the control parameter may be used to predict cartridge consumption within the system and so to manage cartridge ordering and budgeting, and to calculate a predicted carbon footprint associated with the cartridges used in the system. By updating the control parameters as the system learns, useful predictions can be made.

Preferably, the printers are configured to send performance data to the management controller. The performance data can be used by the management controller to identify when a printer cartridge needs to be remanufactured or discarded and to assess remanufacturing quality. The s printer may also be configured to send data identifying the cartridge (or the type of cartridge) that it is using to the controller.

The system may include a plurality of remanufacturing facilities. The management controller may use the history data to select a particular remanufacturing facility for a particular printer cartridge.

The management controller may be a separate enterprise to the remanufactu ring facility or may be part of the same enterprise.

is In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges comprising the steps of: receiving from a printer information relating to the performance of a printer cartridge; instructing a remanufacturing facility to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the performance information and on stored remanufacturing history data associated with the cartridge; and updating the stored remanufacturing history data.

The remanufacturing history data may include one or more of the following: the make and model of the cartridge, a unique cartridge identifier, the number of remanufacturing cycles the cartridge has been through, the components that have been replaced during each of those cycles, and the remanufacturer that performed each cycle. The history data can also include how many times the cartridge has been refilled with ink or toner, how much ink or toner was added in each cycle and by whom.

Preferably, the step of updating is performed after receipt of remanufacturing information received from the remanufacturing facility following remanufacture of the printer cartridge.

Preferably, the step of instructing is based on at least one stored control parameter and the method further includes the step of updating the control parameter based on remanufacture information received from the remanufacturing facility following remanufacture of the printer cartridge.

The control parameter preferably comprises an estimated maximum number of remanufacturing cycles that a cartridge can go through before it is discarded.

The control parameter may comprise the components of a cartridge that need to be replaced in each remanufacturing cycle. The management controller may store a plurality of control parameters, with at least one control parameter specific to each type of printer cartridge in the system. Different types and models of printer cartridge may be able to undergo a greater number of manufacturing cycles than others. Similarly, different types of cartridge may require different components to be replaced at different times. The control data is may include a statistically determined profile for a particular type of cartridge.

Preferably, the method further includes the step of calculating a carbon footprint for a printer cartridge.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of sending test image data or an indication of test image data to the remanufactu ring facility following remanufacture of the printer cartridge. Preferably the method further comprises the steps of receiving a printed image corresponding to the test image data from the remanufacturing facility, printed using the printer cartridge, and assessing the quality of the printed image.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of receiving from a printer cartridge data, the cartridge data including information identifying a printer cartridge together with remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, comparing the cartridge data with stored remanufacturing history data, and sending a message to the printer based on a result of the comparison.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of making a prediction of required remanufacturing steps for a printer cartridge based on the stored remanufacturing history data associated with the cartridge and associated with other printer cartridges, and instructing a remanufacturing facility based on the prediction.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of selecting a remanufacturer of printer cartridges, comprising the steps of: sending a printer cartridge, or remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, to a remanufacturer and requesting the remanufacturer to provide a prediction of the remanufacturing steps required io for the printer cartridge, together with a prediction of the outcome of the remanufacturing steps; and selecting whether or not to instruct the remanufacturer to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the predictions.

is Preferably, the predictions are based on data associated with at least one printer cartridge previously remanufactured by the remanufacturer.

Preferably, the prediction of the outcome is a prediction of print quality of the printer cartridge following remanufacture. The prediction of the outcome may also or alternatively include a measure of the environmental impact of the printer cartridge as a result of remanufacture.

Preferably, the method further includes calculating an expected outcome of remanufacture, and comparing the predictions with the expected outcome to provide a comparative result, and selecting whether or not to instruct the remanufacturer to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the comparative result.

Preferably, the method comprises sending the printer cartridge, or rernanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, to a plurality of remanufacturers and requesting each renianufacturer to provide a prediction of the remanufacturing steps required for the printer cartridge, together with a prediction of the outcome of the remanulacturing steps; and selecting which remanufacturer to instruct to remanufacture the printer 3s cartridge based on the predictions.

Preferably, the method further includes collating predictions from remanufacturers to form profiles of each remanufacturer.

The invention provides a system for guiding and managing the remanufacturing and operation of one or more cartridges to very high refill cycles. Furthermore, the system provides for the identification of potential adverse conditions which may result in significant deterioration in print performance of one or more print systems. I0

Brief Description of the Drawings

Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: is Figure 1 shows the performance of a printer cartridge against the number of refill and remanufacturing cycles it has gone through; Figure 2 is a table with an example of a component replacement profile over 25 refill cycles; Figure 3 shows the number of components replaced as a fraction of the 5 possible components that can be replaced plotted superimposed on the performance curve of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows three curves of the cumulative number of replaced components over 25 refill cycles; Figure 5a is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic elements of a system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 5b is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic elements of a management controller in accordance with the present invention; Figure Sc is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic elements of a printer in accordance with the present invention; -10 -Figure 6 shows data held in memory on the management controller; Figure 7 shows data held in memory on each cartridge; Figure 8 illustrates a system for physical alteration of a cartridge to record remanufacturing cycles; Figure 9 illustrates the system of Figure 8 in more detail; Figure 10 illustrates a detection system in a printer for use with the cartridge of Figures 8 and 9; Figure 11 illustrates the steps performed in a learning process carried out by a is system in accordance with the invention, in order to optimise remanufacturing cycles; Figure 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a print quality test carried by a system in accordance with the invention; Figure 13 is a flow diagram of an authentication process carried out by a system in accordance with the invention; Figure 14 shows data held by a management controller in a system according to the present invention for diagnostic purposes; Figure 15 is a table showing remanufacturer estimates for the environmental impact of remanufacture for a cartridge; and o Figure 16 is a compatibility table held by a remanufacturer for establishing the suitability of replacement components.

Detailed Description

System Overview 3s Systems for returning of print cartridges to remanufacturing facilities and -11 -identifying those cartridges so they can be traced are known. However, those systems do not address the problem of identifying when a cartridge may fail, owing to the fact that it is being used in refill cycles approaching, near or at a critical limit. Different makes and models of cartridges may have different critical limits, and even one given make and model may have different critical limits depending on the design of the aftermarket components that are used in the remanufacturing cycles and the usage of the cartridge in the printer.

Figure 1 shows the performance of a printer cartridge against the number of to refill and remanufacturing cycles it has gone through, where n is the number of refill and remanufactu ring cycles. At some number of cycles ncrjt the remanufactured cartridge may exhibit abrupt failure. A remanufacturing management system needs to be able to predict when may occur and allow for a safety margin m (e.g. m = 2), so that the largest n value the cartridge is taken to is njjm = n1ft -m.

Printer cartridges, whether they be toner cartridges for electrophotographic printers or ink cartridges for inkjet printers, typically include a number of components that can be replaced in a remanufacturing process. There are generally more components that can be replaced in a toner cartridge because such a cartridge relies heavily on mechanical systems. In the case of an inkjet cartridge the electrical print head may not necessarily be replaceable and such a cartridge may require only refilling and replacing of a bung or seal to prevent leakage of the ink. Figure 2 is a table with an example of a component replacement profile over 25 refill cycles. The profile is a typical one for a toner cartridge and is what might normally be expected. In Figure 3, the numbers of components replaced as a fraction of (for illustrative purposes) the 5 possible components that can be replaced (OPC drum, wiper blade, PCR, magnetic roller, doctor blade) are plotted superimposed on the performance curve of Figure 1 for the 25 refill cycles. Some components, the ones that get the most wear (OPC drum and mag roller or mag roller sleeve), need to be replaced every other refill cycle, whereas others can be replaced every third refill cycle.

It can be seen from Figure 3 that there is regularity in the replacement profile.

s In some refill cycles (e.g. cycle 17) no components are replaced, whereas in other refill cycles (e.g. cycle 18) all components are replaced. A key point to note is that at cycle 18 for example, the performance curve is dropping and so to replace all components at this cycle is wasteful. What is required is the ability to identify the likely turning point on the performance curve and optimise s the replacement profile within the safety margin. It is possible to construct environmental metrics for this such as the embedded carbon footprint of the replaced components and consequential carbon footprint of the printing system (e.g. through wasted paper, required use of cleaning materials) if it is permitted to enter the degraded performance region. I0

At present the cartridge remanufacturing industry does not have systems to establish systematic replacement profiles for n greater than about 2 or 3.

Various types of non-optimal replacement profile may be found. In Figure 4 three plots are shown of the cumulative number of replacement components is over 25 refill cycles. The normal curve represents an optimal replacement strategy; the two dashed lines represent upper and lower bounds. The excessive curve represents a case in which many cornponents are replaced unnecessarily (e.g. by a remanufacturer being too cautious); this is wasteful of materials and incurs unnecessary costs for the remanufacturer and user. The deficient curve represents a case in which too few components are replaced (e.g. by a remanufacturer attempting to use as few replacement components as possible). The deficient curve may be associated with an early onset of degradation of performance (as per Figure 1).

Figure 5a is a schematic illustration of the basic elements of a system in accordance with the present invention. The system comprises a plurality of printers 10, each using a removable printer cartridge 12, a management controller 20 connected to each of the printers 10, and a remanufacturing facility 30 connected to the management controller 20. The management controller instructs the remanufacturing facility via a communications network, such as the Internet, when and how to remanufacture the printer cartridges.

The management controller 20 includes a memory 22, an analysis unit 24 and an image comparator 26. With reference to Figure 5b, the management 3s controller 20 comprises a modem 516 in signalling connection with a -13-communications channel (not shown) through the network 40; a processor 514 coupled to the modem 516; a digital signal processor (DSP) device 510; program storage read only memory (ROM) 526; random access (rewritable) memory (RAM) 528; and a visual display unit (VDU) 502. The processor 514 may be any of various commercially available processors (e.g. available from Intel Corporation).

A number of program modules may be stored in the system memory 22 and hard drive 524, including an operating system 530, one or more application programs 532, other program modules 534, and program data 536. The operating system 530 in the illustrated management controller 20 is, for example, the "Microsoft Windows Vista" operating system, although it is to be appreciated that the present invention may be implemented with other operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

In operation the DSP device 510 communicates digital data with the modem 516 and processor 514 and supplies outputs to the VDU 502. A user input device such as a keyboard 518 is also provided, together, optionally, with a position sensitive or cursor control input device 520 (such as a mouse, a track baIl, light pen, data glove or a stylus). Other devices (not shown) may be connected to the processing unit 514 through the DSP 510 that is coupled to the system bus 540, but may be connected by other means, such as a parallel port or a universal serial bus (USB). In addition to the VDU 502, the management controller 20 is connected to one to more printers 10.

As is conventional, the DSP device 510 may contain on board the necessary analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue converters, as well as program storage memory. The processor 514 is connected to data input and output ports of the DSP 510, so that the DSP 510 may encode data from the processor 514; the processor 514 is also connected to a control port of the DSP 510 so as to select a stored program for performance by the DSP 510, select an output device or an input device for connection to the DSP 510; or supply a new control program to the DSP 510.

-14 -The ROM 526 stores program data for controlling the operation of the processor 514, and the RAM 528 stores working data, or data received from the modem 516, for use by the processor 514 or the DSP 510. The system memory 22 and hard drive 524 are connected with the processor 514 and DSP s 510 via an internal bus 540. The bus 540 may be any of several types of bus structure including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a local bus using any of a variety of conventional bus architectures. A basic input/output system (BIOS) containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the management controller 20, such as 0 during start-up, is stored in ROM 526.

The logical connections depicted in Figure 5b include a server 544 and network 40. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet. The connection between is the management controller 20 and the server 544 is through an interface 542.

The server 544 preferably is a computer system, such as a server computer.

Alternatively, the server 544 may be a number of physical devices which as a group provide network services. For example, the server 544 could include a dedicated data warehouse that processes and stores EPS data. The server 544 acts as a recipient of information transmitted by the management controller 20. The server 544 preferably also transmits certain data to the management controller 20. The management controller 20 preferably comprises a client computer that is configured to access the server 544 via the interface 542. The client computer may be, for example, a PC running a Microsoft Windows operating system, although the particular type of management controller 20 is not considered to be important, so long as the management controller 20 may support the analysis unit 24, image comparator 26 and operational connection to the printer(s) 10. The analysis unit 24 is defined to be those parts, including functionality, of the management controller 20 used or required to carry out processing and analysis described further herein. The image comparator 26 may comprise image comparison software, which is well developed technology arising particularly through facial recognition and various military applications, can be used to determine the difference between a stored print image and the print image received from the manufacturing facility. An example of image comparison software is the compare tool available from www.imaciemaqick.oç, -15 -which provides what is called a difference file, showing the differences between two compared images. The compare tool may be implemented as a program module 534 and is configured to compute one or more metrics, such as a fidelity factor F, indicative of the degree of difference between the two compared images.

The server 544 is configured to support the standard Internet Protocol (IP) developed to govem communications over public and private Internet backbones and may use means of internet addressing, such as provided by io Network Address Technology (NAT). The server 544 may also support transport protocols, such as TCP, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP). The transport protocols support various types of data transmission standards, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), is Network Time Protocol (NTP), and the like. There are shared resources which include files for programs, web pages, databases and libraries; output devices, such as printers and display monitors; and communications devices, such as modems and Internet access facilities. The communications devices may support wired or wireless communications, including satellite, terrestrial (fibre optic, copper, coaxial, and the like), radio, microwave and any other form or method of transmission.

The server is also configured to support various operating systems, such as, the Windows RTM 3.xx195/98I2000IMEIXPNista operating systems available from Microsoft Corporation; the Linux RTM operating system available from Linux Online Inc.; the Solaris TM operating system available from Sun Microsystems, Inc.; and the like as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s).

Printers are well known in the art. With reference to Figure Sc, the printer 10 includes a CPU 560, a ROM 562, a RAM 564, a non-volatile memory (NVM) 566, a real-time clock (RIC) 568, a modem 570, an interface 572, a print diagnostics unit 15, a comparator 19, a reader / writer 576, receiving means 578 for a SIM card 18, a printing mechanism 592, and a user interface 590.

The printing mechanism 592 includes a docking station 580 for receiving the cartridge 12. The cartridge 12 has a chip 14 which is in operational connection with a reader / writer 588. The reader / writer 588 is connected also to a printing control mechanism 584, developer process unit 582, and fixing unit 586. The printing control mechanism 584 is interconnected to a bus 574, s through which various other elements of the printer 10 are interconnected, as shown in Figure Sc. For the purposes of this illustration, the local printer controller 16 (see Figure 5a) comprises those elements in Figure Sc excluding the print diagnostics unit 15 and comparator 19 which are in direct interconnection with the bus 574. Optionally, the print diagnostics unit 15 io and/or comparator 19 can be embedded within the local printer controller 16 as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s).

The CPU 560 is configured to control various elements and units shown in Figure 5c based on a plurality of programs stored in the ROM 562. More specifically, the CPU 560 is configured to store data, e.g. life information of a toner cartridge 12, in the NVM 566. The NVM 566 is a semiconductor memory configured to maintain data stored therein even if the power is not supplied to the printer 10. The CPU 560 may also provide data to the print diagnostics unit and comparator 19. The ROM 562 is a read-only memory configured to store a plurality of programs. The RAM 564 is a random access memory. The real-time clock 568 is configured to keep track of the current time.

As is conventional, the interface 572 and modem 570 are configured to send and receive information via communication networks (not shown) external to the printer 10. The user interface 590 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a light emitting diode (LED) and is configured to display information necessary for operator control of the printer 10.

As is conventional, the printing mechanism 592 includes a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller, the developer process unit 582 including a charger, the toner cartridge 12, and the fixing unit 586. The photosensitive drum is configured to form an image onto a sheet. The toner cartridge 12 is configured to supply toner into the developer process unit 582. The fixing 586 is configured to fix toner transformed onto the sheet by the developer process unit 582 by heat.

The CPU 560 is configured to determine operational characteristics of the printing process, such as the number of sheets that have been printed based on information obtained from the printing control mechanism 584. The CPU 560 also performs processing tasks as is known in the art such as calculating the amount of toner used for a print job and the number of sheets printed.

The print diagnostics unit 15 and comparator 19 are configured to interoperate with the CPU 560 to provide specific functionality. The print diagnostics unit 15 is configured to perform diagnostics processing and the comparator 19 is configured to compare data held locally in the chip 14 and/or SIM card 18 with data held in other stores, such as store 22 in the management controller 20. It is to be understood that in principle a printer 10 may be configured to operate simultaneously one or more cartridges 12 (e.g. for different colour toners).

The memory 22 stores remanufacturing data for each printer cartridge 12.

Figure 6 shows data held in memory 22 on the management controller. Each cartridge 12 has an individual lD (which includes a makers code MK, a model code MD and an ID number). The table shows the components (components Cl-CS) that have been replaced in each cartridge at refill cycle n (data for cycles 10,11,12 and 13 are shown). The table also shows (optionally) the amount of toner that the remanufacturer has included at the refill cycle. The column P1 is the value of an operational parameter within the printer provided by the print diagnostics unit 15. As an example, this could be whether the local print controller 16 has slowed down the speed at which paper is fed through the printing mechanism. It can be seen that P1 shows as value=1 for cartridge 4 which also has been consistently overtilled with toner.

The analysis unit 24 on the management controller can be used for a variety of functions, some of which will be described in detail. For example, the analysis unit 24 can be used to provide statistics that can be used to characterise a population of remanufactured cartridges across a plurality of machines so that population indices can be used for print quality (PQ) predictions. It can also be used to provide statistics on remanufacturability of particular makes, models and designs of cartridges. These can be used on e-commerce sites to provide sustainability metrics for cartridges being sold. The analysis unit 24 can also -18-be used to establish a profile about what happened to a cartridge during the remanufactu ring processes that it has been through (i.e. what the component replacement profiles at each n have been). The profile can be used to determine the carbon footprint history of the cartridge and provide statistics to a s TCCO diagnostics unit (not shown), implemented as an application 532 in the management controller 20.

The analysis unit 24 can also be used to provide for print-stop capability, to prevent the cartridge and print system from functioning if the cartridge is to predicted to be near to a performance degradation stage (and for example to avoid toner leakage inside the printer and paper wastage through poor quality printing).

The image comparator 26 is used for making print quality checks on is remanufactured cartridges 12, especially those that have been through a high number of remanufacturing cycles, as will be explained in detail.

The cartridges 12 may be any kind of removable printer cartridge, and preferably each includes a chip 14 on which there is non-volatile memory.

Figures 7a and 7b show data held in memory on two cartridges (and also in the central database 22). The data for each cartridge includes remanufacturing data for the current cycle (cycle 14) as well as instruction for the remanufacturer for the next cycle (cycle 15). In the case of cartridge 0002, shown in Figure 7a, the instruction to the remanufacturer is to replace components C2 and C4 and refill with 245g of toner. In the case of cartridge 0004, shown in Figure 7b, the instruction to the remanufacturer is to replace no components, put in no toner, and mark the cartridge for end of life (EOL). Cartridge 0004 is the one that had been consistently overuilled with toner in Figure 6, and so has had its life cycle prematurely truncated.

Additionally, the cartridge chip 14 may include data about the remanufacturing factory in which it has been refurbished and refilled, including information about manufacturer and renianufacturers for each component replaced so that remanufacturer and user can correlate statistics on quality with aftermarket equipment manufacturer (AEM). Statistics on printer repair may be included if -19-necessary, as printer repairs may affect cartridge behaviour. If a cartridge fails after AEM component is replaced then this can be used as a quality check on the supply chain. Also, this information can be used in environmental impact calculations, specifically, to change carbon offsets acquired to establish a carbon neutral printing process according to manufacturer component quality so that the carbon offset properly describes the environmental impact. A low quality replacement component carries a higher risk.

The remanufacturing facility is typically a separate enterprise, and is essentially io an organisation set up to remanufacture printer cartridges. It may be distributed over several sites, and typically include tools, technicians and supplies need to remanufacture at least one type of printer cartridge. An example of a remanufacturer is Clover Technologies of 4200 Columbus Street, Ottawa, IL 61350, USA, hpJLwww.clovertech.com. The remanufacturer 30 confirms is what has been done to each cartridge by entering profile data on-line to the central database 22 and also writing updated data to the chip 14 on the cartridge 12 (if the cartridge has a chip). The remanufacturer 30 therefore includes a chip reader/writer 32 to read the chip 14 on the printer cartridge. The remanufacturer also includes a printer 34 to allow for print quality testing, as will be described in detail, as well as the required remanufacturing equipment and supplies (not shown).

When a cartridge 12 is returned to the user and placed in a printer 10, the printer communicates with the cartridge 12 via reader/writer 588, determines what the replacement profile was and also communicates with the management controller 20 and makes a bit-by-bit comparison to ensure that the remanufacturing life histories on the cartridge 12 and in the memory 22 for that cartridge are identical. This acts as a security check on the cartridge 12 to confirm the identity of the cartridge, confirming that the cartridge is a bona fide remanufactured cartridge (and not a counterfeit). If the profiles are found to be inconsistent, the user is provided with a message on the user interface 590 and the printer signals "print stop" so that the cartridge will not function within the printer. Optionally, comparison of the life cycle data can be made (also) between data held on the SIM card 18 and data held in store 22. The printer therefore includes a chip card reader/writer 576.

-20 -As the cartridge 12 functions within the printer 10, the local print controller 16 counts the number of pages printed. At a convenient number of pages (e.g. half page yield, but can also be set at the point at which the cartridge is first inserted into the printer), the printer writes data to the memory on the cartridge, as per Figure 7, for the current cycle and also writes instructions for the next life cycle replacement profile.

The instructions about the next life cycle are determined by comparison with a io normal replacement profile expected for the make and model of the cartridge, such as shown in Figure 4, as calculated by the analysis unit 24 in the management controller 20. The instructions are devised if necessary to reduce an excessive replacement profile or to increase a deficient replacement profile and optionally may take account of the usage characteristics of the cartridge is (e.g. large print jobs compared with many small print jobs).

As a variation, the printer 10 can offer the user the option to print the instructions for the remanufacturer 30 on a sheet of paper and also produce a corresponding label for the cartridge 12.

In the case that the instruction for the remanufacturer 30 is that the cartridge 12 is at the end of its life, the data held in the chip 14 on the cartridge can be used to indicate which components can be removed from the cartridge and reused.

For example, if a PCR has had only one cycle, it could be used in another cartridge for one or two more cycles.

The cartridges 12 may also or alternatively include a physical marking or modification to record remanufacturing history. One simple mechanism is the provision of an n counting device as illustrated in Figure 8. A section 80 (lip) on the cartridge 12 is arranged to have a sequence of guided indentations 82 formed by perforations 84, and the remanufacturer 30 is required to break one (or punch/drill through one) each time the cartridge 12 is returned to the remanufacturer. In Figures 8 and 9, one indentation 86 is shown broken. The section 80 is located on the outer assembly/housing of the cartridge 12 and fits internally into the printer 10. As shown in Figure 10, the docking station 580 has a detection device that is capable of determining how many thinned elements have been removed/drilled/punched through and this is used to determine the value of n. In one embodiment the printer is arranged to have an LED array or mechanical spring device that determines how many of the s indentations have been broken and count these to determine the n value. The cartridge also has a barcode (which is read by the printer) and may include a electronic chip 14 which connects with the printers internal electronic systems that are used to perform several functions. Detailed remanufacturing history data may be retained in memory 22 in the management controller 20, and io barcode and physical markings on the cartridge 12 used to identify the cartridge and cross-check the centrally stored remanufacturing history data.

The detection device can be constructed as an upgrade module that can be inserted into the printer 10 and connected to its main chassis (for power, signals, etc).

In Figure 8 the location of the lip 80 on the cartridge housing is shown. On the lip 80 is a series of marked sections 82 each of which has a thinned element which can easily be broken away, either by drilling or punching. Each thinned section has a number 88, marked consecutively from I onwards. The number of such thinned sections may vary according to cartridge. Typically the number of thinned sections is between 10 and 20.

Figure 9 shows a series of thinned sections. Figure 9 shows one thinned section 86 which has been broken away. This would have been done by the remanufacturer when the empty new cartridge was first returned. The breaking away of the n=1 thinned section indicates that the remanufactured cartridge is on its Vt refill cycle. Each time that the cartridge is returned to the remanufacturer another thinned section is broken away. One section 90 is reserved for the EOL stage of a cartridge and has an EOL signifier 98. A printer can be configured not accept a cartridge that has the EOL section 90 punched away.

Figure 10 shows how the cartridge lip 80 is guided into docking section 580 of the printer 10 in which a photo array is located. A photo array, comprising a -22 - series of photo cells 92 and receivers 94 is arranged so that one transmitter-receiver is located in line with each thinned section 82. The photo receivers 94 which are able to detect light transmitted by the photocell 92 with which it is aligned are only those ones for which the respective thinned section 82 has s been broken away. In the example shown in Figure 10, only the n=1 light receiver can receive light (because the thinned section 86 is the only one which is broken away). The cartridge lip 80 can be received in a physical guide 96 to ensure proper alignment.

io A counter arranged in operational connection with the light array determines the number of thinned sections 82 that have been broken and hence determines the n value of the cartridge. It is not necessary for the remanufacturer 30 to necessarily break the thinned sections 82 starting with the one marked n=1.

The sequence may be made in any order as the counter counts the number of photo transmit-receive pairs 92, 94 operating. The system can be arranged to store the sequence of positions of thinned sections so that the sequence becomes part of the characterising features of the life history of the cartridge.

Each time the cartridge goes for a refill, a section 82 is punched. It may not necessarily be in order (i.e. 1 then 2 then 3 etc) because a counter is used to count the number of punched sections.

The counting circuit includes a cartridge recognition and consistency checking circuit. For a new cartridge, none of the holes will be punched. In case more than one section 82 is punched at a refill cycle (e.g. extra section punched by mistake) the remanufacturer 30 can put a correction code onto a SIM card device 18 that is provided with the cartridge 12.

The photocells 92 are powered by a voltage source but need only be on at insertion of the cartridge 12 into the printer 10 and for the alignment check. It can be arranged for there to be regular checks of alignment and confirmation when the printer 10 is switched on (after being turned off) that the same cartridge is still in place.

The progressive sequence of light source-receiver connections may take the cartridge closer towards n. There needs to be a safety margin to protect print -23 -quality. The printer will include a warning system that, close to or within the safety margin, initiates communications signal to the SIM card 18 and printer functionality LED system.

s Optimizinq Rernanufacturing Cycles In operation, one embodiment of a system in accordance with the present invention can be described as a general adaptive learning system. For example, as shown in Figure 5a, the printer 10 has a toner cartridge 12 which is a new cartridge and which can go through remanufacturing and refilling (R&R) cycles. It is not known by the management controller 20 how many R&R cycles the cartridge 12 can go through before it reaches a mortality threshold, nM. The new cartridge 12 is provided by the OEM and conservatively the OEM may recommend for its own business reasons that the number of R&R cycles be limited to at most nL, where nL may be very much lower than nM (which itself may be a value that the OEM does not know). For example, the OEM may recommend that nL = 0 or I (or at most 2) and thereafter the cartridge be treated as being at its end of life (EOL) and therefore discontinued from active service. In reality, nM may be a much larger number, e.g. n = 25. However, the management controller 20 does not know what the true expectancy for nM is and how nM may vary for cartridges of a specific make, model and usage characteristics within the printer. Thus, the task for the management controller is to determine how many R&R cycles the cartridge can be taken through without reaching a regime in which there is a deterioration in print quality at the printer. This is because the user needs to receive continued high quality of print service. The more cycles that the cartridge can be taken through, the greater the potential to conserve resources, save costs and avoid unnecessary environmental and climate impacts.

As illustrated in Figure 1, at some stage nffl the remanufactured cartridge 12 may exhibit the onset of developing failures, leading to abrupt failure through a damage avalanche. At this onset the performance level of the printer, as exhibited through print quality (PQ) will begin to deteriorate, although the reduction in PQ may still result in print that is acceptable to the user. As the deterioration worsens, a cycle of cartridge mortality nM will be reached. This is the point at which the printer 10 is unable to print to any acceptable standard.

-24 -The system needs to be able to predict when n may occur for a given cartridge and allow for a safety margin m, so that the largest n value the cartridge is taken is nEOL = -m. It is to be appreciated that the performance curve illustrated in the Figure 1 may not necessarily be exhibited by each and every cartridge; performances curves may exhibit a variety of forms, indicative of the multiplicity of mechanisms through which performance may be affected.

The learning task for the controller is to develop control strategies that cater for such diversity.

As an example, the printer 10 may be using a new cartridge 12 of make MK and model MDi. The controller 20 receives information from a manufacturer information system that the value of the upper limit for R&R cycles for cartridge MK1 MD1 is nL. This information may be provided on the memory 14 on the cartridge 12 or may be supplied directly from the manufacturer. In this example, nL = 2. This is illustrated in Figure 1, which shows the first value of n1 (labeled nL,1) at refill cycle n = 2. When the cartridge 12 is empty of toner (or in a state in which the printer 10 determines toner low' and needs to be withdrawn from the printer), the printer sends / updates a set of cartridge characteristics to the management controller 20. Optionally, the information may also be written to a memory 14 held on the cartridge 20.

The cartridge characteristics include the following information: MK1 make of cartridge MD model of cartridge ID identification number of cartridge nf the number of the R&R cycle that has just finished (=0 for a new cartridge) nL the estimated number limit of R&R cycles for the cartridge nEOL the R&R cycle at which the cartridge should be discontinued (taken out of active service).

Optionally, additional characteristics may also be included, such as the number of pages printed using the cartridge 12, operational parameters for the printer (e.g. whether image stabilization / resolution control circuits need to be switched on during the cartridge's duty cycle, operating temperatures within the -25 -printer). The ID of the cartridge 12 may optionally be held on a barcode label attached to the casing of the cartridge and readable with a barcode reader.

The following steps are then carried out, as illustrated in Figure 11. The printer s sends diagnostics/performance data to the controller 20 in step 100. If refill and remanufacture is deemed necessary, the user is instructed to remove the cartridge 12 from the printer 10 in step 105, and the cartridge is sent to the remanufacturer 30 in step 110. The remanufacturer 30 reads the barcode on the cartridge in step 115 and transmits that barcode to the controller in step o 120. The controller 20 looks in its store 22 of information and identifies the cartridge 12 with that ID in step 125. The store 22 holds information on the cartridge (including MK, MD1, n, n, nEoL). If the controller 20 does not hold information corresponding to the barcode, the controller instructs the remanufacturer 30, who then transmits the MK and MD1 data to the controller 20 together with an estimate of n1. This value for n determines whether the cartridge is a new cartridge or has previously been through one or more R&R cycles. The controller 20 checks whether the newly starting cycle number n8 = n1 + I > nL.

If n a nL (i.e. the cartridge 12 can go through an R&R cycle) the controller 20 uses the MK, MD1 and n values to identify from tables or profiles held in store 22 the components C from the set [Ci, C2,.. .,C5] which need replacing. Figure 2 shows an example of normal component replacement profile. The controller sends instructions to the remanufacturer 30 to replace specific components in step 130. In Figure 2 it is shown that none of the components should be replaced when n9 =1.

If n> nL, the controller 20 sends an instruction to the remanufacturer 30 that the cartridge is at n5 = nEOL and should be discontinued. This is also illustrated as step 130. Optionally, the controller 20 extrapolates from the table of a normal replacement profile held in memory 22 to determine the replacement profile if the R&R cycle is extended to n9. The information is sent to the remanufacturer 30. The remanufacturer 30 receives information from the controller 20. In the case in which the cartridge 12 is to be continued, the 3s information includes the list of components to be replaced. ln the case in which -26 -the cartridge is to be discontinued, and the signal from the controller is to discontinue the cartridge, the information may also include the extrapolated replacement profile.

The remanufacturer 30 inspects the cartridge 12 in step 135 and carries out R&R (disassembling and cleaning the cartridge, replacing components, refilling with toner) in step 140, according to the instructions received or as amended by the remanufacturer 30. The remanufacturer may also decide whether or not to R&R the cartridge that was deemed to be discontinued.

On completion of the R&R operation, the remanufacturer 30 tests the cartridge in a test printer 34 in step 145 and evaluates whether the print quality Pa is pass or fail. In step 155, the remanufacturer 30 sends information to the controller 20 confirming what has been done to the cartridge 12 (i.e. which Is components have been replaced) and whether or not the cartridge has passed the PQ test. This constitutes an evaluation signal or an error signal if PQ=fail.

It can be seen that if the remanufacturer 30 has shown that the cartridge 12 that had been deemed by the controller 20 to be at the stage of being discontinued could actually be taken through another cycle, the remanufacturer can act as a teacher', showing the controller an amendment to its control protocol. By deciding that the instruction to discontinue was incorrect and that it was worthwhile to proceed with the R&R process on the cartridge, the remanufacturer acts as a critic'.

In the case that the cartridge 12 has passed the PQ test, the remanufacturer 30 may signal to the controller 20 that the cartridge 12 is ready for dispatch to the user in step 155. The controller 20 receives the information via a network connection 40 and stores it in its store 22. The controller 20 updates its records o for the specific cartridge with known ID in step 165. If necessary the nL value is incremented by 1 if the remanufacturer has successfully remanufactured the cartridge that otherwise had been deemed to be discontinued. The controller keeps a record of which remanufacturer has carried out which R&R operations on the cartridge 12. The controller 20 updates its store of aggregated data (of cartridge population statistics) for the population of cartridges in the system in step 170.

The remanufacturer 30 updates the data held on the cartridge memory 14 in step 150, and then returns the refilled cartridge 12 for installation in a printer 10 s in step 160.

The process can be repeated as the cartridge is taken through a number of R&R cycles. In Figure 1 it is shown that the working of estimate of nL is incremented until flL = nEOL, which is a safety margin of m cycles prior to l0 As a variation, the controller 20 may increment its estimate of n by more than I at low values of n and, guided by training patterns and/or data stored in the controller 20 and/or data inputted by the remanufacturer 30 subsequently reduce the increment value to I as the cartridge approaches the true value of n. An updating sequence for nL is illustrated in Figure 1.

As a variation, if the controller 20 is unable to make a decision on what a replacement profile should be for a given cartridge 12, a request can be sent to other management systems for recommendations (e.g. typical replacement profiles for a specific model). Those responses may also go directly to the remanufacturer 30 or printer 10.

The controller 20 may maintain a set of data on a remanufacturer's operations (what cartridges refilled, at what cycles, frequency of extending to higher refill cycles, etc), so that R&R quality statistics can be ascribed to remanufacturer operations as well as the likely quality of service received from a remanufacturer.

The controller 20 may hold within its store 22 a cartridge mortality table, a table indicating refill cycle expectancy and mortality frequency for a given refill cycle and various other parameters (e.g. printer usage characteristics to which a cartridge is exposed, printed pages, cumulative number of compon ents replaced in the cartridge to the given refill cycle, cartridge make and model, carbon footprint). The cartridge mortality table is analogous to actuarial tables used to evaluate risks in the provision of life insurance for people. As a further -28 -variation, access to a cartridge mortality table can be provided (e.g. by purchase) by a third party information service provider. The controller 20 makes use of the cartridge mortality table in evaluating the risk of increasing the value of nL towards nEOL.

Print Quality Testinq The controller 20 may request that the remanufacturer 30 carry out a specific print operation using the cartridge 12 that has been refilled. Alternatively, the remanufacturer 30 may request that the controller 20 send a test file to be io printed. These conditions are more likely to be triggered if the cartridge 12 has been extended into a range in which n is much larger than the original starting value for nL, and particularly if the updated n. is in a range of values for which similar cartridges have been known to fail (see for example the description of cartridge mortality tables above).

The following steps are carried out as shown in Figure 12. The remanufacturer sends a request for a test print file in step 200. In step 205, the controller randomly selects a test file from a collection held in store 22. The test file is transmitted to the remanufacturer 30 in step 210 and a request for print & scan is made. In step 215, the remanufacturer prints the file, scans the printed image and transmits the scan to the controller (or an independent third party image comparison service provider). In step 220, the controller compares (e.g. bit-by-bit, byte-by-byte, segment-by-segment) the image received from the remanufacturer with a high quality image held in store, using comparator 26, and in step 225 estimates the fidelity factor F of the received image and from that determines, in step 230, whether PQ is pass or fail.

If the condition is PQ = fail, the controller may optionally request in step 235, another (different) image to be printed and scanned and a further comparison carried out. The process may be repeated so that the controller may use a voting process on a set of scanned images to determine the PQ = pass/fail condition. ln Figure 12, the process is shown repeatable three times before a PQ fail decision is made. The controller stores all results with the life cycle data held for the cartridge. It the PQ =fail condition holds, the controller instructs the remanufacturer to discontinue the cartridge, as shown in step 240.

-29 -Supplementary data, such as the cumulative number of replacement components CUM C through the life history of the cartridge (and corresponding environmental metrics, such as carbon footprint of the cartridge) can be evaluated and stored with the life cycle history of the cartridge, as shown in steps 245 and 250. Such data can be retrieved by the enterprise print services management system in TCCO determinations.

If the PQ=pass, the print quality evaluation data is stored with the history data for the cartridge in memory 22, in step 250.

Authentication checkinQ As has been briefly described, remanufacturing history can be used to authenticate replacement printer cartridges. Figure 13 shows the steps in using remanufacturing history as an authentication check for the cartridge.

In step 300 the remanufacturer 30 reads the memory 14 on the cartridge to identify the remanufacturing instructions. In step 305, the remanufacturer performs the remanufacturing operations. In step 310 the remanufacturer writes to the memory 14 on the cartridge (and/or to SIM card 18) a summary of the remanufacturing operations, e.g. parts replaced. A copy of the summary is transmitted to the controller 20, in step 315, for storage in its store 22. In step 320, the cartridge is returned to a printer. When the refilled cartridge is inserted into the printer, the reader/writer 588 reads the life cycle history on the chip 14, as shown in step 325. In step 330, the printer requests the corresponding life cycle history from the controller 20, or equivalently passes the information read from the cartridge to the controller 20, and a comparator 19 (or equivalent means in the controller 20) checks that the two life cycle histories are identical, as shown in step 335. If the controller 20 confirms that the two life cycle histories are identical in step 340, a control signal is passed to the printer 3o instructing the printer to proceed with cartridge installation and print set-up (e.g. alignment testing), as shown in step 345. If the controller detects that the two life cycle histories are not identical, a control signal is sent to the printer to abort the cartridge set-up process, as shown in step 350 and a diagnostic report is printed by the printer in step 355.

-30 -In the case that the cartridge 12 does not have a chip 14, the only identification on the cartridge would be a barcode, and this is the only information item that could be compared with the information stored in the controller's memory 22.

As a variation, the manufacturer may supply a key-card with the cartridge which is used to store the life cycle history (or details of the recent R&R process) and the printer reads information from the key-card and performs an authentication process (as above) as though that information were stored on a chip on the cartridge. As a further variation, the remanufacturer may supply a key-card with the cartridge, which itself has a chip to which the remanufacturer has written life io cycle information for the cartridge. Optionally the key-card may have written to it information about energy usage in the remanufacturer which can be read in order to determine the carbon footprint of the remanufactured cartridge and used by the controller.

is RemanufacturinQ profiles and assessment of remanufacturers The system of the present invention can be trained to instruct a normal component replacement profile rather than an abnormal (e.g. deficient or excessive) replacement profile.

A normal component replacement profile is shown in Figure 2. The table in Figure 2 shows live components that may be replaced within each refill cycle and which components may actually be expected to be replaced. Similar tables can be shown for abnormal component replacement profiles, which can be characterized, for example, by the cumulative number of components replaced with increasing n.

In the process of supervised learning, an objective of the management controller 20 may be to determine the bounds for a normal component replacement profile (illustrated as dashed lines in Figure 4) and establish the risk to PQ for a particular profile. In this manner, the management controller 20 can associate a risk to PQ for any cartridge at any refill cycle n and so predict the results expected from a print test performed at the remanufacturer 30 on a given cartridge 12.

By way of example, a remanufacturer 30 holds in store 36 a collection of cartridge remanufacturing histories and PQ tests associated with testing cartridges at various life cycle stages. The remanufacturer 30 provides the controller 20 with information held in its store 36 of a life cycle up to a particular s remanufacture cycle n and the controller retums to the remanufacturer an action for the n+1 cycle and a prediction of the result of the PQ test. The remanufacturer 30 compares the instructions received from the controller 20 with data held in its store 36, and provides the controller with information about its performance in estimating the R&R action for the (n+1)th cycle and the io prediction for the result of the PQ test. The controller 20 stores the information and the leaming cycle is repeated so that the controller explores more examples. Since the information being provided to the controller reflects R&R activities of the rem anufacturer, the supervised learning task results in the controller being able to assess the R&R performance of the remanufacturer.

i5 The controller 20 can repeat the supervised learning task with another remanufacturer and establish similar remanufacturer performance characteristics.

As a variation, the controller 20 establishes a performance table of R&R capability for a group of remanufacturers. The table reveals which remanufacturers are best at which remanufacturing tasks. For example, some remanufacturers may specialize in cartridges of a particular make and model, others may have relatively superior performance refurbishing cartridges which are close to nEOL in their life cycle history.

The capability established in the supervised learning task can be used in another task. For example, the capability to predict how well a remanufacturer may perform on a given remanufacturing task can be used to select to which remanufacturer a particular cartridge should be sent. Consider two remanufacturers, REMI and REM2. REM1 performs best for cartridges at low n values whereas REM2 has superior performance in remanufacturing cartridges for n close to nEOL. When a printer detects that a cartridge having reached the end of cycle 11 requires R&R, the printer 10 sends a signal to the controller 20 indicating that the cartridge is to be dispatched. The controller 20 returns an action to the printer 10 that it print a dispatch label indicating that the cartridge is sent to REM2, even though the cartridge had been sent to REMI for its first 11 refill cycles. In this way the controller 20 is able to optimize the diverse R&R capability across a group of remanufacturers in order maximize the potential for cartridge longevity and continued high PQ.

The table in Figure 14 shows data held in store 22 in the controller 20 which manages a plurality of printers 10 across the enterprise print system. Each printer 10 has an ID. Two illustrative examples of operational parameters within each printer reflect deficiencies in print quality if their values are set as 1.

io These are illustrative parameters; there can be others. P1 has value I if the printer has reduced the speed of paper feed. P2 (image stabilisation control) has a value I if the voltage feed to the photoconductor drum has required significant variation. For the cartridge currently in the printer, the store holds the make and model of the cartridge and the cumulative number of components is CUM C that have been replaced in the life of the cartridge up to its current cycle. The table shows that printers with ID=6 and ID=9 have operational parameters that are indicating problems (either in the printer or in the cartridge).

The controller 20 uses the value of CUM C to identify that the cartridge in printer with lD=9 should be marked for EOL as the cartridge appears to have had an excessive number of components replaced during its life history. The controller sends a control signal to the printer with 1D9 to abort the cartridge and display an appropriate diagnostic report (e.g. "cartridge problem") at the user interface 590.

In the case of printer with lD6 the controller 20 determines that the CUM C value and also from additional data held in store (about the cycle number n of the cartridge and PQ testing) that the component replacement history for the cartridge is what would normally be expected for that particular make and model and that no P0 problems have previously been detected for the cartridge. In view of the uncertainty over the cause of the operational parameters P1 and P2 having values set to 1, the controller 20 sends a command signal to the abort the cartridge from the printer with lD=6 and send the cartridge to the remanufacturer for diagnostic (e.g. further PQ) testing.

Additionally, the controller 20 may send to the printer a command signal for the printer to carry out diagnostic testing of its functions and transmit a diagnostics report to the controller.

Control of Cartridge Fillinsj An example of associative learning in a system in accordance with the invention can be illustrated by control of the amount of toner that is put into the toner hopper of the cartridge during a R&R operation.

The amount of toner should not exceed a certain amount for the particular cartridge design, or the excess toner may cause toner spillage problems, leading to deterioration of print quality. The amount should not be deficient, as this would compromise page yield of the cartridge and degree of resource utilization, given the effort that goes into the R&R operation. Thus, for a given cartridge it can be appreciated that there is an optimal range for the amount of is toner that should be used, with the range defined by tL Ct C t, where tL and t are lower and upper limits.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown a table of data held in store 22 at the controller 20, The data correspond to various refill cycles n = 10, 11, 12, and 13 from a collection of cartridges 12 (each with separate ID) installed in printers lOin the enterprise.

For each refill cycle n there is shown data corresponding to whether components Ci (i = 1,2,3 4, 5) were replaced for that cycle and also a value of C6 which is the amount in g of toner that the remanufacturer 30 put into the cartridge at the refill stage. These data have been provided to the controller 20 by the remanufacturer 30 at each R&R stage (and/or may also have been read from the chip 14 held on each cartridge 12). An operational parameter P1 is also shown. This parameter represents an example of state information passed from the printer to the controller. P1 is set to a value I by the print diagnostics unit 15 within the printer 10 if the system has to perform an abnormal level image stabilization activity during the service cycle of the cartridge 12; otherwise the value of P1 is set at zero. It can be seen from the table that P1 is 0 for all cartridges except for the cartridge with ID number ending in 0004. Thus, although the controller 20 had received information from each remanufacturer 30 at each R&R operation that the PQ value for the test print was pass', there is one case in which the value of P1 provided to the controller by the printer 10 reveals a problem. On evaluation of the data in its store 22 (e.g. using conventional statistical analysis methods or other methods, s such as fuzzy logic or neural network analysis), the controller 20 identifies that the reason that the P1 value is 1 for cartridge 0004 is because an excessive amount of toner has consistently been put into that cartridge at each refill cycle.

Figures 7a and 7b illustrate the instructions sent to the remanufacturers of to cartridge 0002 and 0004. In the case of cartridge 0002 the controller 20 issues an instruction to replace C2 and 04 and refill the cartridge with 245g of toner.

In the case of cartridge 0004 the controller 20 issues an instruction to the remanufacturer that the cartridge is to be discontinued from service; the EOL parameter is set as 1, which means that the cartridge has been deemed to is have reached nEaL.

As an alternative, the controller 20 may decide that the effect of the previous overlilling of cartridge 0004 is not serious and that a refilling corrective measure is sufficient. The controller sends a control signal to the remanufacturer of cartridge 0004 to reduce the amount of toner put into the cartridge from the range that has been used (295-31 5g) to the narrower range 245-255g. The controller may then selectively invoke more stringent PQ testing procedures for cartridges sent to that particular remanufacturer.

As a further variation, the controller 20 may access external sources for data describing the range for the amount of toner to be put into the cartridge. This could, for example, be accessed remotely from a database operated by the manufacturer of the cartridge, or an information repository provided by a product testing laboratory service.

Selection of remanufacturers for spcific tasks The origin of replacement components used by a remanufactu ring facility is an aspect of the remanufacturing process that the controller would not ordinarily have information about and may therefore have to rely on signals from the remanufacturer 30. A remanufacturer 30 has access to several sources of -35 -components that may be used as replacement components during an R&R process. The main source of such components is through supply of new replacement components, acquired from suppliers in the aftermarket.

Additional sources include used components scavenged from empty cartridges, both non-remanufactured (at n=0) and rernanufactured (at n > 0).

In this illustrative example, the controller 20 wishes to determine the best source of remanufacturing capability for a cartridge 12 at a particular cycle n.

The cartridge 12 is one which the controller 20 has estimated has reached a io particular cycle (cycle 24 in Figure 2) in which all of the components Cl -CS will need to be replaced. In view of the age of the cartridge, the controller requires that the remanufacturing process is of highest quality and also incurs least environmental impact in terms of CO2 emissions. The controller 20 instructs the printer 10 to abort the cartridge 12 and sends a request to a first Is remanufacturer, remanufacturer 1, to assess the cartridge and provide an evaluation consisting of three figures: the number of components to be replaced RN, the total embodied CO2 in the replacement components (including component packaging) R02, and the embodied CO2 in the toner Tco2. When remanufacturer I has completed the assessment, the cartridge is returned to a dispatch centre and forwarded to a second remanufacturer, remanufacturer 2 who is required to make a similar assessment and send an evaluation of (RN, Rco2, Tco2) to the controller. The process is repeated until the controller has received evaluations from the six remanufacturers as shown in the Figure 15.

At each remanufacturer there is held in store characteristics of each replacement part. Data held for one or more of the characteristics may be obtained from a remote source, For example, an estimate for the embodied CO2 (i.e. 810 gCO2 for replacement component Cl at remanufacturers 1, 2 and 3) may be obtained through a live link from a component database or website or read from the component packaging.

The controller 20 initially compares the values of RN submitted by each remanufacturer against its own estimate (RN = 5) and identifies two remanufacturers (2 and 5) which have provided significantly low values and whose component replacement strategy may cause undue risk to the print service delivered by the cartridge. Of the three remanufacturers (1, 4 and 6) which have indicated that RN = 5, remanufacturer I has provided an evaluation for Rco2 which is significantly lower than remanufacturers 4 and 6. All six remanufacturers have indicated the same values for Tco2 and so there is nothing to choose between them on this particular evaluation. On the basis of the evaluations from the remanufacturers the controller 20 assigns the task of remanufacturing the cartridge to remanufacturer 1. It can be appreciated that through the process of non-associative leaming in which evaluations are sought from remanufacturers, the controller can develop a sophisticated system for assessing R&R performance characteristics of remanufacturing facilities and use such assessments in task assignment and associated environmental impact assessments.

In one embodiment, the remanufacturer 30 maintains a compatibility table, as is shown in Figure 16. The table shows three components (corresponding to Wiper Blade, G2). On receiving a cartridge to be evaluated the remanufacturer reads the barcode on the cartridge, thereby identifying the make and model, and identifies that the replacement wiper blade for the cartridge is component WB052. The stock system of the remanufacturer reports out of stock' for WB052, that a component unavailable' signal is obtained from on-line searches, and given that the compatibility table shows that there are no alternative components that can be used, reports that the task requested cannot be performed. The remanufacturer reports a null evaluation to the controller. lithe wiper blade to be replaced had been WBOO4, there would have been four alternative compatible components to choose from.

The controller 20 may also send a request to remanufacturer I to confirm the numbers of new aftermarket components and scavenged components that have been used to determine the estimate. In response, remanufacturer 1 transmits the numbers = 5 and Rav = 0 to the controller.

These numbers are used to confirm the job assignment to remanufacturer 1.

As a variation, the controller may instruct the remanufacturer to source replacement components from a particular source, as these are determined to give best PQ performance in the printer.

-37 -As a further variation, the controller 20 may request information on suppliers for components and also EOL routes (and associated environmental metrics) for components that are removed from a cartridge. As a further variation, the controller may request that the remanufacturer transmit component weights to the controller via an electronic link from a weighing machine at the remanufacturing facility. The controller accumulates information about weights and other parameters, (e.g. embodied CD2), of parts removed from and put into cartridges and evaluates these for statistical correlation with state information received from the printer. For example, if replacement components with io weights outside a particular range are found to correlate with resulting poor PQ, the controller may use the determination to prohibit the use of particular replacement components. By way of illustration, a signal from the weighing machine at the remanufacturing facility to the controller may result in a "component acceptable" or "component unacceptable" instruction returned to is the remanufacturer. It can be appreciated that the remanufacturer may under such circumstances become part of the controlled system', as the controller 20 may engage in direct management of process steps within the remanufacturer 30.

As a further variation, the remanufacturer 30 writes to memory 14 on the cartridge the total embodied CO2 (or greenhouse gas emissions) for the components, toner, remanufacturing process, return of the cartridge and EOL of spent components. The embodied CO2 is read from the cartridge by the printer and stores this data in its memory together with pages printed and estimates of embodied CO2 for each sheet of paper and data on energy use by the printer. The accumulated data are transmitted to the controller and the controller uses this and supplementary data to evaluate a total carbon cost of ownership of printer through computations based on life-cycle methodology.

Claims

Claims 1. A system for managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges comprising: a management controller; s one or more printers connected to the management controller; a plurality of removable printer cartridges for use with the one or more printers; and a remanufacturing facility connected to the management controller; wherein the management controller includes a memory containing remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridges, and wherein the management controller is configured to instruct the remanufacturing facility to remanufacture printer cartridges based on the remanufacturing history data.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes the number of remanufacturing cycles the cartridge has been through.
3. A system according to claim I or 2, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes those components that have been replaced during each remanufacturing cycle.
4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes the make and model of the cartridge and/or a unique cartridge identifier.
5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes a number of times the cartridge has been refilled with ink or toner, and/or how much ink or toner was added in each cycle.
6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein he management controller is configured to calculate a carbon footprint for the printer cartridges based on the remanufacturing history data.

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7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each printer cartridge includes a memory storing remanufacturing history data for that cartridge.
8. A system according to any preceding claims, wherein at least part of the remanufacturing history data is recorded on the cartridge by physically marking or altering the printer cartridge.
9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each to printer cartridge has a unique identifier.
10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the unique identifier is a barcode, or other marking on each printer cartridge.i
11. A system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the unique identifier is in electronic form on a microchip or SIM card on each cartridge.
12. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the management controller stores control data including at least one control parameter, and wherein the management controller is configured to instruct the remanufacturing facility based on the at least one control parameter.
13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the control parameter comprises an estimated maximum number of remanufacturing cycles that a cartridge can go through before it is discarded.
14. A system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the control data comprises the components of a cartridge to be replaced in each remanufacturing cycle.
15. A system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the management controller stores a plurality of control parameters, with at least one control parameter specific to each type of printer cartridge in the system.
16. A system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control data includes a statistically determined profile for a particular type of cartridge.
17. A system according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the management controller is configured to update at least one control parameter based on remanufacturing data received from the remanufacturing facility.
18. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the printers are configured to send performance data to the management controller.
19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the management controller is configured to use the performance data to identify when a printer cartridge needs to be remanufactured or discarded
20. A system according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the management controller is configured to use the performance data to assess remanufacturing quality.
21. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of remanufactu ring facilities, wherein the management controller is configured to use the history data to select a particular remanufacturing facility for a particular printer cartridge.
22. A method of managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges comprising the steps of: receiving from a printer information relating to the performance of a printer cartridge; instructing a remanufacturing facility to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the performance information and on stored remanufacturing history data associated with the cartridge; and updating the remanufacturing history data.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein remanufacturing history data includes the number of remanufacturing cycles the cartridge has been through.
24. A method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes those components that have been replaced during each remanufacturing cycle.
25. A method according to any one claims 22 to 24, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes the make and model of the cartridge and/or a unique cartridge identifier.
26. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the remanufacturing history data includes a number of times the cartridge has been refilled with ink or toner, and/or how much ink or toner was added in each cycle.
27. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the step of instructing is based on at least one stored control parameter and the method further includes the step of updating the control parameter based on remanufacture information received from the remanufacturing facility following remanufacture of the printer cartridge.
28. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the control parameter comprises an estimated maximum number of rernanufacturing cycles that a cartridge can go through before it is discarded.
29. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein the control parameter comprises the components of a cartridge that need to be replaced in each remanufacturing cycle.
30. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 29, wherein the management controller stores a plurality of control parameters, with at least one control parameter specific to each type of printer cartridge in the system.
31. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the control data includes a statistically determined profile for a particular type of cartridge.-42 -
32. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 31, further comprising the step of calculating a carbon footprint for a printer cartridge based on the stored remanufacturing history data.
33. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 32, further comprising the step of sending test image data or an indication of test image data to the remanufacturing facility following remanufacture of the printer cartridge.
34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the steps of receiving a printed image corresponding the test image data from the remanufacturing facility, printed by the printer cartridge, and assessing the quality of the printed image.
35. A method according to any one of claims 23 to 34, further comprising is the steps of: receiving from a printer cartridge data, the cartridge data including information identifying a printer cartridge together with remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, comparing the cartridge data with stored remanufacturing history data, and sending a message to the printer based on a result of the comparison.
36. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 34, further comprising the step of making a prediction of required remanufactu ring steps for a printer cartridge based on the stored remanufacturing history data associated with the cartridge and associated with other printer cartridges, and instructing a remanufacturing facility based on the prediction.
37. A method of selecting a remanufacturer of printer cartridges, comprising the steps of: sending a printer cartridge, or remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, to a remanufacturer and requesting the remanufacturer to provide a prediction of the remanufacturing steps required for the printer cartridge, together with a prediction of the outcome of the remanufacturing steps; and -43 -selecting whether or not to instruct the remanufacturer to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the predictions.
38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the predictions are based on data associated with at least one printer cartridge previously remanufactured by the remanufacturer.
39. A method according to claim 37 or 38, wherein the prediction of the outcome is a prediction of print quality of the printer cartridge following remanufacture.
40. A method according to claim 37, 38 or 39, wherein the prediction of the outcome includes a measure of the environmental impact of the printer cartridge as a result of remanufacture.
41. A method according to any one of claims 37 to 40, further including the step of calculating an expected outcome of remanufacture, and comparing the predictions with the expected outcome to provide a comparative result, and selecting whether or not to instruct the remanufacturer to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the comparative result.
42. A method according to any one of claims 37 to 41, further comprising the steps of: sending the printer cartridge, or remanufacturing history data associated with the printer cartridge, to a plurality of remanufacturers and requesting each remanufacturer to provide a prediction of the remanufacturing steps required for the printer cartridge, together with a prediction of the outcome of the remanufacturing steps; and selecting which remanufacturer to instruct to remanufacture the printer cartridge based on the predictions.
43. A method according to claim 42, further including the step of collating predictions from remanufacturers to form profiles of each remanufacturer.
44. A printer cartridge comprising a recording portion adapted for recording remanufacturing history data by marking or physically altering the recording portions.
45. A printer cartridge according to claim 44, wherein the recording portion includes removabte or markable sections, wherein a section is removed to record one remanufacturing cycle.
46. A method of recording remanufacturing history data on a printer io cartridge comprising the step of marking mechanically altering or removing portions of the cartridge.
47. A system for managing the remanufacture of printer cartridges substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
48. A method for the remanufacture of printer cartridges substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.