Optimized servicing that adapts preventative and corrective actions to the life of a printhead

Abstract

A method for determining service criteria for a printhead in a printer includes receiving an indication that service is needed, determining a calculated age of the printhead, and selecting a service procedure based on the determined calculated age. The selected service procedure has an impact on the long term life of the printhead that is proportional to the calculated age. The calculated age may be classified as a beginning of life phase, a middle of life phase or a maturity phase, and the service procedures may be selected such that the service procedure for the beginning of life phase has a low impact on the printhead's long term life, the service procedure for the middle of life phase has a moderate impact on the printhead's long term life, and the service procedure for the maturity phase has a severe impact on the printhead's long term life.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.