# US 10,375,273 B1 · Chip and supply item for imaging device, including communication

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- Number: US 10,375,273 B1
- Document ID: US10375273B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/952,376
- Filed: 2018-04-13
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13
- Assignees: Lexmark International, Inc.
- Applicants: Lexmark International, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen Porter Bush; Timothy John Rademacher; Christopher Alan Adkins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375273B1

## CPC

- H04N 1/4426: {involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card}
- B41J 2/17503: {Ink cartridges}
- G03G 15/50: {Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control (sequencing control G03G21/14)}
- G06F 21/335: {for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets}
- H04L 9/3268: {using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]}
- H04N 1/00015: {Reproducing apparatus}
- H04N 1/00034: {Measuring, i.e. determining a quantity by comparison with a standard (H04N1/00031 takes precedence)}
- H04N 1/00058: {using a separate apparatus}
- H04N 1/00965: {using a plug-in memory module, e.g. memory card, memory stick}
- H04N 1/0097: {Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs}
- G03G 15/0863: {provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory}
- G03G 15/0865: {Arrangements for supplying new developer}
- G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job}
- G03G 15/556: {for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement}
- G03G 21/1882: {details of the communication with memory, e.g. wireless communication, protocols}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A supply item has toner for use in an imaging device. A chip has memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over its lifetime and a multiplier correlating the quanta to toner mass. The imaging device requires quanta to conduct imaging operations and loads the quanta and multiplier by way of a certificate stored in the memory. The imaging device retrieves quanta from the chip over time and both devices keep tally. Initialization between the supply item and imaging device includes providing encrypted and unencrypted instances of firmware versions and certificates from the supply item that the imaging device can compare for security. Alternatively, the supply item defines a fuser assembly, imaging unit, intermediate transfer member, or other component installed for use in the imaging device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a supply item having toner configured for installation in an imaging device having a controller, a method of tracking lifetime of the supply item, comprising:
storing in memory of a chip configured for installation with the supply item a certificate having a first value representing an original amount of quanta corresponding to the lifetime of the supply item; and
configuring the chip to receive from the controller a query for decrements of quanta from the original amount of quanta at a time when the imaging device requires additional quanta and tallying same.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including storing in the memory a second value correlating the quanta to mass of the toner.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the tallying further includes storing a result in the chip corresponding to same.

### Claim 4

In a supply item having a chip installed in an imaging device having a controller, the chip having a memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over a lifetime thereof, a method of communicating with the imaging device for the quanta, comprising:
receiving at the supply item from the imaging device a request for an amount of said quanta, including receiving an encrypted instance of a nonce and a select plurality of bits of a non-encrypted instance of said nonce; and
decrypting the encrypted instance of said nonce.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, where the decrypting the encrypted instance of said nonce further includes decrypting with AES or Triple DES, including key whitening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further including comparing said select plurality of bits of said non-encrypted instance of said nonce to a same select plurality of bits of the decrypted said encrypted instance of said nonce.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, if said comparing results is a match, sending from the supply item to the imaging device said quanta in an amount corresponding exactly to said amount of quanta requested from said imaging device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further including decrementing the amount of quanta from a tally of said quanta and storing same in said memory.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further receiving from the imaging device a request for an additional amount of quanta, including receiving an encrypted instance of a second nonce and a second select plurality of bits of a non-encrypted instance of said second nonce.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further including decrypting said encrypted instance of said second nonce.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further including comparing said second select plurality of bits of said non-encrypted instance of said second nonce to a second select plurality of bits of the decrypted said encrypted instance of said second nonce and if they are the same, sending to the imaging device said quanta in a second amount corresponding exactly to said additional amount of quanta requested from said imaging device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, if said comparing results in a no match, sending from the supply item to the imaging device an error response.

### Claim 13

In a supply item having a slave chip installed in an imaging device having a master controller, the slave chip having a memory storing an original amount of quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over a lifetime and an ongoing tally of quanta decremented from said original amount of quanta, a method of negotiating additional quanta from said supply item, comprising:
receiving from the imaging device a request for an additional amount of quanta, including receiving an encrypted instance of a nonce and a select plurality of bits of a non-encrypted instance of said nonce;
decrypting the encrypted instance of said nonce; and
comparing said select plurality of bits of said non-encrypted instance of said nonce to a same select plurality of bits of the decrypted said encrypted instance of said nonce and
if they are the same, sending to the imaging device an amount of quanta corresponding exactly to said additional amount of quanta requested from said imaging device,
else, sending to the imaging device an error.

### Claim 14

In a chip configured for use with a supply item to be installed in an imaging device, a method of requesting quanta from the supply item, the quanta being stored in a certificate in a memory of the chip and corresponding to an allowed usage of the supply item, comprising:
configuring the chip to receive a request from the imaging device for an amount of said quanta;
and if said amount of said quanta exists in the memory of the chip, configuring the chip to provide to the imaging device an equal amount of quanta as said received in said request.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including configuring the chip to decrement said amount of said quanta from an ongoing tally of quanta.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including configuring the chip to provide an error to the imaging device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including configuring the chip to provide to the imaging device said equal amount of quanta within a time known by the imaging device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including preventing increasing an amount of the quanta.

### Claim 19

A chip for installation with a supply item cartridge having imaging toner to be installed in an imaging device and configured for communication with a controller of the imaging device on a slave node of an I2C communications bus while the controller is configured on a master node of the I2C communications bus, comprising a memory having a certificate storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the imaging toner over a lifetime thereof and an amount of quanta decremented from said quanta upon receiving requests for additional quanta from the imaging device.