JP2001328257A5

JP2001328257A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2001328257A5
Application number: JP2000151251A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2000-05-23
Publication date: 2005-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-23

Description

【０００７】
【課題を解決するための手段】
本発明の第１の観点に従うプリンタは、記録剤カートリッジを交換可能に装着できるものであり、同一の記録剤が充填された複数の記録剤カートリッジが装着される。それら複数の記録剤カートリッジの各々が、その記録剤カートリッジに関するカートリッジ情報を記憶した記憶素子を備える。前記記録剤カートリッジに関するカートリッジ情報は、その記録剤カートリッジの記録剤残量を含んでいる。プリンタは、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジの各々の前記記憶素子から前記カートリッジ情報を読込むカートリッジ情報読込手段と、前記読込まれた各々のカートリッジ情報に含まれる記録剤残量に応じて、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジの中から使用する記録剤カートリッジを選択するカートリッジ選択手段とを備える。[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Printer according to the first aspect of the present invention are those that can exchangeably mounted recording material cartridge, a plurality of recording agent cartridges same recording agent is filled Ru is mounted. Each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges includes a storage element storing cartridge information regarding the recording agent cartridge. The cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge includes the remaining amount of the recording agent of the recording agent cartridge. The printer reads the cartridge information from the storage element of each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges, and the plurality of the plurality of the cartridges according to the remaining amount of recording material included in each of the read cartridge information . And a cartridge selection unit for selecting a recording agent cartridge to be used from among the recording agent cartridges.

【０００９】
好適な実施形態では、プリンタは、印刷するジョブの１頁又は全部の印刷量から記録剤使用量を推定する推定手段を更に備える。カートリッジ選択手段が、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジにそれぞれ対応した複数の記録剤残量の１つ、又は、前記複数の記録剤残量から成る総記録剤残量が、前記推定された記録剤使用量よりも多ければ、記録剤残量が多い記録剤カートリッジを選択する。また、プリンタは、印刷するジョブの１頁又は全部の印刷量から記録剤使用量を推定する推定手段と、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジにそれぞれ対応した複数の記録剤残量の全て、又は、前記複数の記録剤残量から成る総記録剤残量が、前記推定された記録剤使用量よりも少なければ、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジの１つ又は全ての交換をユーザに要求し、印刷を行わない手段とを更に備える。 [0009]
In a preferred embodiment, the printer further comprises estimation means for estimating the recording material usage from the print volume of one or all pages of the job to be printed . The cartridge selecting means uses one of a plurality of remaining amounts of recording agent corresponding to each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges, or a total amount of remaining recording agent consisting of the plurality of remaining portions of recording agents is estimated using the recording agent If the amount is larger than the amount, the recording agent cartridge having a large amount of remaining recording agent is selected. In addition, the printer is an estimation unit that estimates the recording agent usage amount from the printing amount of one or all pages of the job to be printed, all of the plurality of recording agent remaining amounts respectively corresponding to the plurality of recording agent cartridges If the total amount of remaining recording agent, which is composed of a plurality of remaining recording agents, is smaller than the estimated amount of recording agent used, the user is requested to replace one or all of the plurality of recording agent cartridges, and printing is performed. And further comprising:

【００１０】
好適な実施形態では、カートリッジ情報には、記録剤カートリッジの製造年月日又は開封年月日の少なくとも一つが含まれており、カートリッジ選択手段は、製造年月日又は開封年月日の最も早い記録剤カートリッジを優先的に選択する。[0010]
In a preferred embodiment, the cartridge information includes at least one of the date of manufacture or the date of opening of the recording material cartridge, and the cartridge selecting means is the earliest date of manufacture or date of opening. Select the recording agent cartridge preferentially.

【００１２】
本発明の第２の観点に従うプリントシステムは、プリンタと、そのプリンタを制御するホスト装置とが互いに通信可能に接続され、プリンタが、記録剤を充填した記録剤カートリッジを交換可能に装着できるように構成されているものである。同一の記録剤が充填された複数の前記記録剤カートリッジの各々が、その記録剤カートリッジに関するカートリッジ情報を記憶した記憶素子を備える。前記記録剤カートリッジに関するカートリッジ情報は、その記録剤カートリッジの記録剤残量を含んでいる。前記プリンタが、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジの各々の前記記憶素子から前記カートリッジ情報を読込むカートリッジ情報読込手段を備える。前記ホスト装置又は前記プリンタの少なくとも一方が、前記読込まれた各々のカートリッジ情報に含まれる記録剤残量に応じて、前記複数の記録剤カートリッジの中から使用する記録剤カートリッジを選択するカートリッジ選択手段を備える。[0012]
In the printing system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the printer and the host device that controls the printer are communicably connected to each other, and the printer can exchangeably mount the recording agent cartridge filled with the recording agent. Ru der those that are configured. Each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges filled with the same recording agent has a storage element storing cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge. The cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge includes the remaining amount of the recording agent of the recording agent cartridge. The printer includes cartridge information reading means for reading the cartridge information from the storage element of each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges. Cartridge selecting means for selecting at least one of the host device and the printer from among the plurality of recording agent cartridges in accordance with the remaining amount of recording agent included in each of the read cartridge information Equipped with

Claims

In a printer capable of replaceably mounting a recording agent cartridge filled with a recording agent,
Each of a plurality of the recording agent cartridges filled with the same recording agent has a storage element storing cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge,
The cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge includes the remaining amount of the recording agent of the recording agent cartridge,
Cartridge information reading means for reading the cartridge information from the storage element of each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges;
A printer selection unit configured to select a recording agent cartridge to be used from among the plurality of recording agent cartridges in accordance with the remaining amount of recording agent included in each of the read cartridge information .

The cartridge selection means preferentially selects the recording agent cartridge with the least amount of remaining recording agent, and when the remaining amount of recording agent in the selected recording agent cartridge becomes zero or small during printing, the recording to be used The printer according to claim 1, wherein the agent cartridge is switched to another recording agent cartridge to continue printing.

The printing apparatus further comprises estimation means for estimating the recording material usage amount from the printing amount of one or all pages of the job to be printed ,
The cartridge selecting means is one of a plurality of remaining amounts of recording agent corresponding to each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges, or the total amount of remaining recording agent consisting of the plurality of remaining portions of recording agent is the estimated amount of the recording agent If the amount is larger than the amount used , select a recording agent cartridge with a large amount of remaining recording agent,
The printer according to claim 1.

Estimating means for estimating the amount of recording material used from the print amount of one or all pages of the job to be printed;
If all of the plurality of recording agent remaining amounts respectively corresponding to the plurality of recording agent cartridges, or the total recording agent remaining amount including the plurality of recording agent remaining amounts is smaller than the estimated recording agent usage amount, Means for requesting the user to replace one or all of the plurality of recording material cartridges and not performing printing
The printer of claim 1, further comprising:

The cartridge information includes at least one of a manufacturing date or an opening date of the recording agent cartridge,
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge selection unit preferentially selects the recording material cartridge with the earliest date of manufacture or date of opening.

The printer according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge selection unit selects a recording material cartridge to be used based on a print mode.

When printing in the draft printing mode, the cartridge selection unit preferentially selects the recording material cartridge with the earlier date of manufacture or the date of opening, and when printing in the high image quality printing mode, the year of manufacture month or printer according to claim 1, wherein selecting a slower recording agent cartridge of the unsealing date preferentially.

A printing system in which a printer and a host device that controls the printer are communicably connected to each other, and the printer is configured to be able to replaceably mount a recording agent cartridge filled with a recording agent.
Each of the plurality of the recording agent cartridges same recording agent is filled is provided with a memory element which stores cartridge information about the recording agent cartridge,
The cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge includes the remaining amount of the recording agent of the recording agent cartridge,
The printer comprises cartridge information reading means for reading the cartridge information from the storage element of each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges;
Cartridge selecting means for selecting at least one of the host device and the printer from among the plurality of recording agent cartridges in accordance with the remaining amount of recording agent included in each of the read cartridge information Equipped with
Printing system.

In a method of operating a printer in which the recording agent cartridge can be mounted replaceably,
Each of a plurality of the recording agent cartridges filled with the same recording agent has a storage element storing cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge,
The cartridge information on the recording agent cartridge includes the remaining amount of the recording agent of the recording agent cartridge,
A step of said plurality of recording agent cartridge is mounted,
Reading the cartridge information from the storage element of each of the plurality of recording agent cartridges;
Selecting a recording agent cartridge to be used from among the plurality of recording agent cartridges according to the remaining amount of recording agent included in each of the read cartridge information ;
Operating method of the printer.