# US 2008/0186340 A1 · Head unit, droplet discharging apparatus, droplet discharging system, information processing apparatus, information processing method, status information notifying method, status information updating method, faulty position detecting method, and programs

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2008/0186340 A1
- Document ID: US20080186340A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/940,774
- Filed: 2007-11-15
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2003-11-11
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Masayoshi Koyama; Masato Nakamura; Takumi Namekawa; Shota Nishi; Shinichi Horii
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186340A1

## CPC

- B41J 29/393: Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a droplet discharging apparatus including a discharge head for deflectively discharging droplets through one discharge port at a plurality of pixel areas in adaptive fashion. The discharge head is controlled to discharge droplets at an object. A storage unit stores status information about the discharge head. A communication unit communicates with an information processing apparatus located outside so as to transmit the status information to the information processing apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A droplet discharging system comprising a droplet discharging apparatus and an information processing apparatus interconnected by a communication channel;
wherein said droplet discharging apparatus includes:
a detection unit for detecting changes in status of a monitored object;
a storage unit for storing either detected values from said detection unit or a use history of said monitored object as status information; and
a communication unit for communicating with said information processing apparatus located externally so as to transmit said status information to said information processing apparatus; and
wherein said information processing apparatus includes:
an analysis unit for analyzing said status information acquired from said droplet discharging apparatus through communication; and
a presentation unit for presenting an end user with a probable cause of a detected defect in said monitored object in either textual or visual form, said probable cause having been isolated through analysis by said analysis unit.

### Claim 2

A droplet discharging system comprising a droplet discharging apparatus and an information processing apparatus interconnected by a communication channel;
wherein said droplet discharging apparatus includes:
a detection unit for detecting changes in status of a monitored object;
a storage unit for storing either detected values from said detection unit or a use history of said monitored object as status information; and
a communication unit for communicating with said information processing apparatus located externally so as to transmit said status information to said information processing apparatus; and
wherein said information processing apparatus includes:
an analysis unit for analyzing said status information acquired from said droplet discharging apparatus through communication; and
a presentation unit for presenting an end user in either textual or visual form with contents of work to be done to recover from a probable cause of a detected defect in said monitored object, said probable cause having been isolated through analysis by said analysis unit.

### Claim 3

A droplet discharging apparatus comprising:
a detection unit for detecting changes in status of a monitored object;
a storage unit for storing either detected values from said detection unit or a use history of said monitored object as status information; and
a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus located externally so as to transmit said status information to said information processing apparatus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an authentication unit which, given a request to rewrite a driving condition held in a storage unit regarding a discharge head, allows only a communicating party having been authenticated for access to said storage unit to rewrite said driving condition therein for said discharge head.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a discharge head for deflectively discharging droplets through one discharge port at a plurality of pixel areas in adaptive fashion under a selectively established driving condition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said status information concerns any one of a head cartridge, an ink cartridge, and a cleaning unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The droplet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said status information concerns a discharge head.