DE10040456B4 - Printer and method for providing data for optimization thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for providing data for optimizing printers, comprising the following steps:
Determining (102) whether a printer (30) includes, in addition to a removable toner cartridge (32), one or more other replaceable components (62, 66), the replaceable toner cartridge (32) having a component storage (40) integrated therein ;
if it is determined that the printer (30) comprises one or more other replaceable components (62, 66), identifying (104) and storing (106) the respective brand names (64, 68) of the other replaceable components (62, 66) in FIG the component memory (40) of the toner cartridge (32); and
Storing printer usage data (48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) in the component memory (40) of the toner cartridge (32);
wherein, upon removal (126) of the toner cartridge (32) from the printer (30) in the component memory (40) of the toner cartridge (32), the stored printer usage data (48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) and the brand names (64 , 68) of the further exchangeable components (62, 66).

Description

These This invention relates generally to interchangeable printing device components and in particular to replaceable printing device components, which have a memory.

Several Types of printing devices, such. As printers, copiers, facsimile machines, etc., have interchangeable components installed in them are having a life cycle during which the component is functional. When the function life cycle ends, the component goes through exchanged a new component. Examples of interchangeable Components for Printing devices include ink cartridges, toner cartridges, tape cassettes, Fuser, photoconductor, drums and the like.

After this a replaceable component the end of their functional life cycle the same can be recycled or recycled. Recycling a component means that the user is using an exhausted component returns to the manufacturer at the end of the life cycle of the component. Then the manufacturer can safely eliminate the component. In addition, parts can from the exhausted Component to be present, the manufacturer for use in new Want to exploit components and thereby reducing the amount of waste. Toner cartridges can also through the original one Manufacturer or renewed by another toner cassette vendor so that the Toner cartridge can be reused.

cassette can be made with a cassette memory, in the same integrated or recorded in a cassette label. This Memory is used to store printer-related data, which the printer reads to determine certain printing parameters and to get information about the user. For example The memory may store the model number of the cartridge so that the printer can recognize the cassette as a cassette with this special Printer is compatible. In addition, can the cartridge memory, for example, the expected number of pages, the from the cassette during a lifetime cycle is printed, saving it possible will that the Printer determines how many extra Pages can be printed through the cassette.

This Advancement of technology can be combined with the recycling process Used to give a printer component manufacturer the opportunity to collect a direct feedback or response from customers about how to the component was used.

Such Information is for Printer component manufacturers are very valuable as they help them Understand conditions under which their products are used. This information can then designing and producing new printing devices used to work more efficiently under such conditions.

Currently are printer manufacturers on procedures such. B. customer surveys, instructed to gather information. Customer surveys will be, though they are in written form to the customer, but only filled in by a small percentage of customers and sent back. Of the Printer manufacturer can not rely on such a small coverage of all or almost all printer users absolutely accurate.

customer surveys can through personal Interrogating customers regarding the conditions under which their printers are operated. Besides that, this under most circumstances represents an intolerable expense, the customer can continue to specific Information, such as B. temperature and humidity extremes, under which his printer is operated, do not know.

The US 5,272,503 A describes an exchangeable xerographic cassette for one Printer, wherein the cassette is a storage element for recording of usage data.

The US 5,797,060 A describes a printer with an electrophotographic Subsystem whereby the printer informs the user if not more ample toner available stands. In a service center, the printer is examined to find out what to replace and where the problem lies. The operator of the service center also receives information about the Brand name of the component or system concerned.

The US 5,579,088 A describes a printer with a programmable Developer cartridge, which has a memory to consumption information save.

The US 5,491,540 A describes an exchangeable component for a Printer having a memory to store data regarding use, the calibration or similar save.

The The object of the present invention is a method and to create a printer that collects information about the Use of replaceable components in printing devices enable.

These The object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a Printer according to claim 7 solved.

One Printing system uses a memory that is in a removable Component is integrated to print device usage information to save. The manufacturers or the re-manufacturers win the Information returns when the component is returned for recycling becomes. The information is used to print printers and printer components for the Use under such conditions to optimize.

During the If the printer is operating, the printer may be configured to perform certain tasks To record usage information in the memory of the component. The information can the length of print jobs, which is done by the printer will include. The explicit length of each print job can be recorded, or the printer may be configured to just keeping a record or a record of it how many short, medium and long print jobs while using the component relative to a particular page count for each length of a print job.

Of the Printer may also be equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, the environmental conditions during the Monitor the operation of the printer. The temperature and humidity extrema measured during printer operation can, can be recorded in the component memory.

It may be that one Printer manufacturers also want to know which brands of interchangeable Components in the printer are used. The printer or the Cassette can be configured to change the name of each brand To detect component used in the printer and this Record information in the component memory. The printer manufacturer can Use this information to diagnose marketing deficiencies by analyzing the Information can be discovered tackle.

The above list is not intended to limit the type of information that is stored in the component store can be recorded. Other such information may be one Job complexity Review for each Print job, the time it takes to print each job to print, or other similar Usage data includes.

If returned the component to the manufacturer for recycling becomes, the usage information from the component memory read before the component is recycled. The data from The component can be obtained during design, manufacture and the marketing of following printers, by the manufacturer manufactured and / or sold, can be used.

preferred embodiments The present invention will be described below with reference to FIG the attached Drawings closer explained. Show it:

1 a schematic representation of a laser printer;

2 a schematic representation of a laser printer toner cartridge;

3 a block diagram of a printer; and

4 a flowchart of a method to record and recover printer usage data from a removable printing device component.

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

2 shows a toner cartridge 32 in the laser printer 30 can be installed. The toner cartridge 32 has a label 34 which contains information that the toner cartridge 32 identified to a user. The label 34 typically gives the name of the manufacturer, the model number of the cassette, etc. Although the invention has been shown and described herein as a printer toner cartridge for a laser printer, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied as any replaceable component (toner cartridge, ink cartridge, fuser, drum, etc.) incorporated in a printing device (printer, copier, facsimile, etc.) etc.) can be installed.

A storage label 36 is below the eti briquettes 34 on the toner cartridge 32 Although it is obvious that the memory label 36 on the toner cartridge 32 can be placed at any position that is practical for the purposes described herein. The storage label 34 is preferably a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) memory tag. The RFID memory labels and RFID applications are well known in the art. Further aspects of the structure of the RFID storage label 36 and its functionality in the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

3 shows the printer 30 with a toner cartridge 32 which is installed in the same. The cassette 32 is interchangeable and thus can be removed and replaced with another toner cartridge (not shown). The toner cartridge 32 includes the memory label 36 and a toner supply 38 ,

As mentioned above, the memory label is 36 an RFID memory label, although it should be noted that the memory label 36 may have other types of memory known in the art, such as. B. a conventional semiconductor memory, a magnetic strip, etc.

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

The interrogator emits a radio frequency field, the power to the memory tag 36 over the antenna coil 44 supplies. The storage label 36 therefore does not require its own power supply, which is a feature that contributes to the cost efficiency and practicality of an RFID memory for the memory tag 36 contributes.

A communication between an interrogator and an RFID storage label 36 is via the high frequency field and the antenna coil 44 transmitted and received using the standard RFID method and protocol as disclosed in ISO 14443 and ISO 15693. Therefore, there is a physical contact between the memory label 36 and the printer 30 not required for the printer 30 with the memory label 36 communicated.

The memory 40 has several printer usage data parameters stored therein. These printer usage data parameters include the page count 48 , Brand names 50 , the maximum temperature 52 , the minimum temperature 54 , the maximum humidity 56 and the minimum humidity 58 ,

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

brand names 50 stores the name of the manufacturer that produces other interchangeable components in the printer 30 available. The printer 30 includes a fixer 62 with a brand name 64 and a drum 66 with a Mar label 68 , The printer 30 also has a brand name identifier 70 configured to accommodate other interchangeable components, such as B. the fixer 62 and the drum 66 , identify, and the brand names 64 . 68 from each component in the brand names 50 of the memory 40 record.

The printer 30 further includes an ambient air temperature sensor 72 and a relative humidity sensor 74 That determines the temperature and relative humidity of the air around the printer 30 monitor when the printer 30 in operation. The ambient air temperature sensor 72 saves a current temperature 76 and the relative humidity sensor 74 stores a current relative humidity 78 ,

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

4 Fig. 10 shows a method to record and retrieve the printer usage data from a removable printing device. The process begins with a step 100 when the user the toner cartridge 32 in the printer 30 installs. At one step 102 asks the brand name identifier 70 the printer 30 to determine if there are any other removable components in the printer 30 available. If other removable components in the printer 30 are present ("YES" branch, step 102 ) identifies the brand name identifier 70 the brand name of each interchangeable component (step 104 ). The brand names 50 . 64 . 68 the other removable components (fixer 62 ; drum 66 ) are then stored in memory 40 saved.

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

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

At one step 120 will be the current relative humidity 78 as the maximum relative humidity 56 recorded when the current relative humidity 78 the maximum relative humidity 56 exceeds that in the memory 40 is stored. If the current relative humidity 78 less than the minimum relative humidity 58 that's in the store 40 is stored, the current relative humidity 56 as the minimum relative humidity 58 (Step 122 ) recorded.

If the toner supply 38 is not exhausted, more jobs will be in the step ("NO" branch, step 124 ). At one step 126 the user removes the toner cartridge 32 from the printer 30 when the toner supply 38 is exhausted. The user gives the toner cartridge 32 to the toner cartridge manufacturer in one step 128 back. The toner cartridge manufacturer recovers the data in the toner cartridge 32 (Step 130 ) and uses the data to retrieve other printers based on the retrieved data (step 132 ) to optimize.

It be noted that the Method can be performed by a device.

Claims (13)

A method of providing data for optimizing printers, comprising the steps of: determining ( 102 ), if a printer ( 30 ) next to an exchangeable toner cartridge ( 32 ) one or more further exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ), the replaceable toner cartridge ( 32 ) a component memory ( 40 ) integrated therein; if it is determined that the printer ( 30 ) one or more further exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ), identifying ( 104 ) and save ( 106 ) of the respective brand names ( 64 . 68 ) of the other exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ) in the component memory ( 40 ) of the toner cartridge ( 32 ); and storing printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) in the component memory ( 40 ) of the toner cartridge ( 32 ); wherein when removed ( 126 ) of the toner cartridge ( 32 ) from the printer ( 30 ) in the component memory ( 40 ) of the toner cartridge ( 32 ) the stored printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) and the brand names ( 64 . 68 ) of the other exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ). Method according to Claim 1, in which the printer ( 30 ) performs a plurality of print jobs, each print job consisting of a number of pages, and the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) include the number of pages of each print job. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the printer ( 30 ) is used during periods of operation and in which the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) at least one environmental condition ( 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) present during the operating periods. Method according to claim 3, wherein said printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) are periodically stored during the operating periods at predetermined intervals. Method according to claim 3 or 4, in which the environmental condition ( 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) an ambient air temperature ( 52 . 54 ) having. Method according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the environmental condition ( 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) a relative humidity ( 56 . 58 ) in air around the printer ( 30 ) having. Printer ( 30 ) comprising: a replaceable toner cartridge ( 32 ) with a component memory ( 40 ), which is integrated in the same; one or more other exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ) each with a brand name ( 50 ); a storage device configured to store printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) into the component memory ( 40 ) save; and an interrogator configured to store the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ), wherein the interrogator is further configured to, after installation of the toner cartridge ( 32 ) in the printer ( 30 ) the respective brand names ( 64 . 68 ) of the other exchangeable components ( 62 . 66 ) and in the component memory ( 40 ) of the toner cartridge ( 32 ) save. Printer ( 30 ) according to claim 7, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) are a number of pages printed on a print job; and the polling device has a page counter ( 60 ) configured to count the number of pages printed in a print job. Printer ( 30 ) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) an ambient air temperature ( 76 ) are; and the interrogator a temperature sensor ( 72 ) configured to measure the ambient air temperature. Printer ( 30 ) according to claim 9, wherein the component memory ( 40 ) a minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) and a maximum ambient air temperature ( 52 ) contains; the temperature sensor ( 72 ) an actual ambient air temperature ( 76 ) during operating periods; the storage device is configured to set the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) as the minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) when the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) is lower than the minimum ambient air temperature ( 54 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ) and the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) as the maximum ambient air temperature ( 52 ) when the current ambient air temperature ( 76 ) higher than the maximum ambient air temperature ( 52 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ) is stored. Printer ( 30 ) according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the printer usage data ( 48 . 50 . 52 . 54 . 56 . 58 ) a relative humidity of the air around the printer ( 30 ) exhibit; and the interrogator device comprises a humidity sensor ( 74 ) configured to measure the relative humidity. Printer ( 30 ) according to claim 11, wherein the component memory ( 40 ) a minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) and a maximum relative humidity ( 56 ) contains; the humidity sensor ( 74 ) a current relative humidity ( 78 ) during the operating periods; the storage device is configured to maintain the current relative humidity ( 78 ) as the minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) when the current relative humidity ( 78 ) lower than the minimum relative humidity ( 58 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ) and the current relative humidity ( 78 ) as the maximum relative humidity ( 56 ) when the current relative humidity ( 78 ) higher than the maximum relative humidity ( 56 ) stored in the component memory ( 40 ) is stored. Printer ( 30 ) according to one of claims 7 to 12, in which the component memory ( 40 ) a high-frequency identification memory ( 36 ) having.