# US 2021/0240400 A1 · Replaceable print apparatus component

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- Number: US 2021/0240400 A1
- Document ID: US20210240400A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/768,652
- Filed: 2019-12-03
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-03
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Michael W. CUMBIE; Scott A. LINN; James Michael GARDNER
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240400A1

## CPC

- B41J 2/17546: {electronically}
- B29C 64/259: Interchangeable
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B41J 2/04508: {aiming at correcting other parameters}
- B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit}
- B41J 2/04546: {Multiplexing}
- B41J 2/04563: {detecting head temperature; Ink temperature}
- B41J 2/0458: {controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles}
- B41J 2/04586: {controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type}
- B41J 2/17513: {Inner structure}
- B41J 2/17526: {Electrical contacts to the cartridge}
- B41J 2/1753: {Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts}
- B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure}
- B41J 2/17556: {Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge}
- B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control}
- G01F 23/247: {for discrete levels}
- G01F 23/802: {Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment}
- G01F 23/804: {containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level}
- G01F 25/20: of apparatus for measuring liquid level
- G06F 1/08: Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
- G06F 1/12: Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators}
- G06F 3/121: {Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted}
- G06F 13/4291: {using a clocked protocol}
- G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication
- G06F 21/85: interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
- H03K 19/017509: {Interface arrangements}
- B41J 2002/17586: {using ink bag deformation for ink level indication}
- G06F 13/42: Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
- G06F 2213/0016: Inter-integrated circuit (I2C)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)

## Abstract

A replaceable print apparatus component includes a print material reservoir, a print material within the reservoir and a sensing system including an integrated circuit configured to connect to and communicate over a digital bus. The sensing system includes at least one sensor, a digital controller, an analog to digital converter electrically coupled to the digital controller, and a memory array electrically coupled to the digital controller. The digital controller is configured to generate a clock signal for timing operations of the integrated circuit. The operations include initiating the at least one sensor based on values stored in the memory array and generating outputs of the at least one sensor via the analog to digital converter.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-30. (canceled)

### Claim 31

A replaceable print apparatus component comprising:
a print material reservoir;
a print material within the reservoir; and
a sensing system comprising an integrated circuit configured to connect to and communicate over a digital bus, including:
at least one sensor,
a digital controller,
an analog to digital converter electrically coupled to the digital controller, and
a memory array electrically coupled to the digital controller,
wherein the digital controller is configured to generate a clock signal for timing operations of the integrated circuit, the operations including:
initiating the at least one sensor based on values stored in the memory array, and
generating outputs of the at least one sensor via the analog to digital converter.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the sensing system further comprises a memory chip controller for sensor reference calibration, read initiation, measurement configuration, and retrieval of a digital representation of a print material level within the reservoir, and
wherein the integrated circuit and the memory chip controller are configured to connect to and communicate over a shared digital bus.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the digital controller is configured to generate derivative clock signals from a reference clock signal for timing operations of the integrated circuit.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the digital controller generates the clock signal to time operations of the analog to digital converter, the digital bus, and read and/or write accesses to the memory array to initiate the sensing system state and/or to store results of outputs from the analog to digital converter.

### Claim 35 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the sensing system comprises a test pad, and
wherein the integrated circuit comprises a multiplexer electrically coupled to the digital controller, the at least one sensor, and the test pad, the multiplexer to pass a selected one of the clock signal and an analog sensor signal from the at least one sensor to the test pad.

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the memory array comprises registers, flip flops, and/or latches.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 36, wherein the registers are initiated to a default state and accessible by read and/or write logic of the digital controller to shift data into and/or out of the registers to update the state of the registers and/or to update the state of the digital bus.

### Claim 38 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the analog to digital converter comprises a successive approximation analog to digital converter.

### Claim 39 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the integrated circuit comprises an analog bias circuit electrically coupled to the at least one sensor and the digital controller to bias the at least one sensor.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 39, wherein the analog bias circuit generates a constant voltage to bias the at least one sensor.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 39, wherein the analog bias circuit generates a constant current to bias the at least one sensor.

### Claim 42 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of sensors of different types including the at least one sensor, each of the plurality of sensors electrically coupled to the digital controller.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 42, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor, a strain gauge, a crack detector, and a print material level sensor.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 43, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a shared analog bus electrically coupled between the digital controller and each of the plurality of sensors for analog biasing and analog to digital conversion to access the state of the print material over the print material level sensor or a localized strain at a strain gauge.

### Claim 45 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the at least one sensor is in direct contact with the print material.

### Claim 46 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect a pneumatic actuation of the print apparatus component.

### Claim 47 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an array of sensors, wherein the integrated circuit comprises an array of heaters associated with the array of sensors.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 47, wherein each heater is actuated for a register-based programmable time duration by a digital pulse generated from a clock reference conversion.

### Claim 49 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, wherein the least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensor cores, and
wherein each sensor core is configured to perform at least one of heating, thermal sensing, strain sensing, optical sensing, and memory access.

### Claim 50 (depends on 31)

The replaceable print apparatus component of claim 31, further comprising:
a housing having a height, a width less than the height, and a length greater than the height, the height parallel to a vertical reference axis, and the width extending between two sides; and
a print material output,
wherein the print material reservoir is within the housing.