Method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Adkins, Douglas Peterson, Timothy Strunk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit includes determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by the cartridge; determining whether the cartridge was previously installed in the imaging apparatus; and determining that the cartridge is potentially counterfeit if the usage threshold has been reached and the cartridge was not previously installed in the imaging apparatus.
Claims40
A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit, comprising:
- determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by said cartridge;
- determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus;
- and
- determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus.
A method for detecting whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is counterfeit, comprising determining whether a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is on a counterfeit list.
An imaging apparatus that detects whether a cartridge installed in said imaging apparatus is potentially counterfeit, comprising:
- a print engine configured to mount said cartridge;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to said print engine, said controller being configured to execute instructions for:
- determining whether a usage threshold has been reached by said cartridge;
- determining whether said cartridge was previously installed in said imaging apparatus;
- and
- determining that said cartridge is potentially counterfeit if said usage threshold has been reached and said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus.
The method of imaging apparatus 26, wherein said determining if said cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory includes:
- reading said cartridge identification number from a cartridge memory associated with said cartridge;
- comparing said cartridge identification number to a previous cartridge list stored in said memory of said imaging apparatus;
- and
- determining that said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus if said cartridge identification number is not on said previous cartridge list.
The method of imaging apparatus 28, further comprising a previous cartridge list stored in said memory, wherein said determining if said cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is stored in said memory includes:
- reading said cartridge identification number from a cartridge memory associated with said cartridge;
- comparing said cartridge identification number to a previous cartridge list stored in said memory of said imaging apparatus;
- and
- determining that said cartridge was not previously installed in said imaging apparatus if said cartridge identification number is not on said previous cartridge list.
An imaging apparatus that detects whether a cartridge installed in an imaging apparatus is counterfeit, comprising:
- a print engine configured to mount said cartridge;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to said print engine, said controller being configured to execute instructions for determining whether a cartridge identification number associated with said cartridge is on a counterfeit list.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.