Printer tray printed circuit assembly
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPaul D Bliley, Tyler P Kapp, John P Sturman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer tray printed circuit assembly may include a board, a processing unit supported by the board, an output connector connected to the processing unit and supported by the board and an input connector supported by the board. The input connector is connectable to an interconnect to connect the first printer tray printed circuit assembly to a second printer tray printed circuit assembly. Signal altering circuitry carried by the board automatically alters an output signal of the output connector in response to the input connector being connected to the interconnect. The altered output signal indicates a configuration of a printer tray configuration.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising:
- a first printer tray printed circuit assembly comprising:
- a board;
- a processing unit supported by the board;
- a first output connector connected to the processing unit and supported by the board, wherein the first output connector is to be connected to a printer;
- a first input connector supported by the board, wherein the first input connector is connectable to a first interconnect to connect the first printer tray printed circuit assembly to a second printer tray printed circuit assembly;
- a sensor to detect whether the first input connector is connected to the second printer tray printed circuit assembly via the first interconnect;
- and
- a first signal altering circuitry carried by the board, wherein the first signal altering circuitry automatically alters an output signal of the first output connector from a first voltage to a second voltage in response to the sensor detecting that the first input connector is connected to the second printer tray printed circuit assembly via the first interconnect, wherein the altered output signal of the first output connector indicates to the printer that two printer trays are connected to the printer.
A printer tray accessory for use with a printer, the printer tray accessory comprising:
- a first tray carrying a first tray printed circuit assembly to be connected to the printer;
- a second tray carrying a second tray printed circuit assembly to be connected to the first tray printed circuit assembly via an interconnect, wherein the second tray printed circuit assembly is to communicate with the printer across the interconnect connecting the second tray printed circuit assembly to the first tray printed circuit assembly and across the first tray printed circuit assembly;
- a sensor to detect whether the first input connector is connected to the second printer tray printed circuit assembly via the first interconnect;
- and
- a signal altering circuitry (SAC), wherein in response to the sensor detecting that the second tray printed circuit assembly is connected to the first tray printed circuit assembly via the interconnect, the SAC alters an output signal of the first tray printed circuit assembly from a first voltage to a second voltage such that the altered output signal indicates to the printer that the printer tray accessory has two trays being connected to the printer.
A method for operating a printer tray accessory to communicate with a printer, wherein the printer tray accessory includes a first printer tray printed circuit assembly, a second printer tray printed circuit assembly, an interconnect for connecting the second printer tray printed circuit assembly to the first printer tray printed circuit assembly, a sensor, and a signal altering circuitry, the method comprising:
- detecting, by the sensor, that the first printer tray printed circuit assembly is connected to the second printer tray printed circuit assembly via the interconnect;
- in response to the sensor detecting that the first printer tray printed circuit assembly is connected to the second printer tray printed circuit assembly via the interconnect, altering, by the signal altering circuitry, an output signal of the first printer tray printed circuit assembly from a first voltage to a second voltage to indicate to the printer that the printer tray accessory has two printer trays being connected to the printer;
- and
- communicating, by the second printer tray printed circuit assembly, with the printer via the interconnect and via the first printer tray printed circuit assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.