# US 2021/0333751 A1 · Consumable component identifiers

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

- Number: US 2021/0333751 A1
- Document ID: US20210333751A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/499,305
- Filed: 2018-04-23
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-23
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Wayne J Schmidt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210333751A1

## CPC

- G03G 21/1896: {mechanical or optical identification means, e.g. protrusions, bar codes}
- G06K 19/06018: {one-dimensional coding}
- G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job}
- G03G 21/1889: {for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage}
- G06K 7/10435: {the interrogation device being positioned close to a conveyor belt or the like on which moving record carriers are passing (conveying in accordance with bodily destination marks, see B65G47/46, sorting of objects carrying identity markings, see B07C5/34)}
- G06K 7/12: using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

An example print device may comprise a consumable component comprising a human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier. The example print device may also comprise a sensor to read the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A print device comprising:
a consumable component comprising a human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier; and
a sensor to read the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The print device of claim 1, wherein the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier is arranged such as to not interfere with marking a print medium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The print device of claim 1, wherein the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier is etched in a surface of the consumable component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The print device of claim 1 further comprising an intermediate transfer belt, and wherein the sensor is arranged proximate to the intermediate transfer belt to detect a latent image of the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier on the intermediate transfer belt.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The print device of claim 4, wherein the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier is arranged on a peripheral portion of the consumable component such that the latent image of the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier is on a portion of the intermediate transfer belt that is not to contact print media.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
detecting a human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier arranged on a consumable component of a print device using a sensor of the print device; and
transmitting signals representative of the detected human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier to a processor of the print device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the detecting the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier comprises:
transmitting electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from the sensor, the sensor comprising a photo transceiver; and
receiving reflected EMR at the sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitting of the EMR comprises transmitting the EMR to a portion of an intermediate transfer belt of the print device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising altering an operation of the print device in response to reception by the processor of the transmitted signals representative of the detected human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the altering of the operation of the print device comprises altering an end-of-life prediction for the consumable component.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the altering of the operation of the print device comprises providing information via a user interface of the print device.

### Claim 12

A print device comprising:
an organic photoconductor (OPC) drum comprising a unique human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier arranged in a peripheral portion of the OPC drum;
an intermediate transfer belt to receive a latent image from the peripheral portion of the OPC drum, the latent image corresponding to the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier; and
a sensor to read the latent image and enable authentication of the OPC drum based thereon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The print device of claim 12 further comprising a processor, the processor to:
receive signals indicative of the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier; and
receive signals from a non-transitory computer-readable medium arranged on the OPC drum.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The print device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further to compare the signals indicative of the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier with the signals from the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The print device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further to alter an operation of the print device in response to a determination that the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier does not correspond to the signals from the non-transitory computer-readable medium.