US 5,940,095 A · Ink jet print head identification circuit with serial out, dynamic shift registers

Abstract

An ink jet print head identification system for providing print head identifying information to the electronics of an ink jet printer includes one or more parallel load, serial out, dynamic shift registers integrated into a print head chip having a plurality of address lines interconnecting the printer electronics and print head electronics. Each shift register is programmed or encoded with a single digital bit. In one embodiment, a voltage pulse (load signal) received on a single chip address line by a plurality of shift registers loads the input of each encoded register with the register's own encoded bit. Two of the address lines provide each of the registers with successive sequential clock signals to serially shift the encoded information to an output device where the print head identifying information is read by the printer electronics. Other embodiments of the invention may employ any number of encoded registers independently of the number of available address lines.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An identification system for providing ink jet print head identifying information in ink jet printers having ink jet print heads, comprising:

a controller and drive circuit for transmitting signals including first and second clock signals in the form of clock pulses and for receiving signals;
a plurality of address lines for conducting signals including said first and second clock signals from the controller and drive circuit to the inklet print head;
an identification circuit having a plurality of mask programmed, one-bit shift registers disposed in the ink jet print head, each of said one-bit shift registers containing one bit of a digital code corresponding to the print head identifying information, said identification circuit being connected to receive said first and second clock signals from said address lines and being responsive to said first and second clock signals to serially transmit the digital code, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;
an output line connected to said identification circuit for conducting the bits of the digital code to the controller;
and
said controller being connected to receive the bits of the digital code from the output line and being programmed to interpret the digital code and determine the print head identifying information.

3 more elements

An identification system for providing ink jet print head identifying information in ink jet printers having ink jet print heads, comprising:

a controller and drive circuit or transmitting signals including at least one clock signal in the form of clock pulses and a load signal and for receiving signals;
a plurality of address lines for transmitting signals including said at least one clock signal and said load signal from the controller and drive circuit to the ink jet print head;
an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code which includes bits corresponding to die print head identifying information, being connected to receive said at least one clock signal from said address lines and being responsive to said at least one clock signal to serially transmit the digital code, said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having:
a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;
a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;
a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;
an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;
a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive a first clock signal, and a drain;
a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;
a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;
a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive a second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor;
and
a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals;
an output line connected to said identification circuit for transmitting the bits of the digital code to the controller;
and
said controller being connected to receive the bits of the digital code from the output line and being programmed to interpret the digital code and determine the print head identifying information.

13 more elements

An ink jet print head integrated circuit for providing print head identifying information to ink jet printer electronics, said circuit comprising:

a print head array circuit;
a plurality of address lines connected to the printer electronics and to said print head array circuit for conducting signals from the printer electronics to the print head array circuit, said address lines including lines for conducting first and second clock signals and a line for conducting a load signal, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;
a temperature sense circuit having an output connected to the printer electronics;
and
a programmed identification circuit connected to receive said first and second clock signals and said load signal, and for providing print head identifying information to the temperature sense circuit output in serial digital format in response to said first and second clock signals and said load signal, said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having:
a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;
a power ground;
a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;
a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;
an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;
a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive said first clock signal, and a drain;
a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;
a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;
a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive said second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor;
and
a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals.

13 more elements

An ink jet print apparatus characterized by:

an ink jet print head containing ink;
an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code which includes bits corresponding to print head identifying information;
wherein said ink jet print head is characterized as an ink jet print head for depositing, onto a print medium, ink having parameters corresponding to the print head identifying information;
input lines connected to said identification circuit to receive at least one clock signal and at least one load and said identification circuit being responsive to the at least one clock signal and at least one load signal to serially transmit the digital code, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;
an output line for interconnecting said identification circuit and the printer for conducting the digital code when transmitted to provide the print head identifying information as an output;
wherein said identification circuit is further characterized as including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having:
a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;
a power ground;
a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;
a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;
an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;
a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive a first clock signal, and a drain;
a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;
a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;
a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive a second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor;
and
a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals.

14 more elements

An ink jet print apparatus for providing print head identifying information to an ink jet printer, said apparatus characterized by:

a printer control circuit for producing first and second clock signals and a load signal;
a plurality of address lines for conducting said first and second clock signals and said load signal, a clock signal being defined as a sequential series of pulses on a single line;
an ink jet print head;
ink contained in said print head;
an identification circuit disposed in the ink jet print head and containing a digital code corresponding to the print head identifying information, being connected to said address lines to receive the first and second clock signals and the load signal from the printer's control circuit and being responsive to the clock and load signals to serially transmit the digital code to the printer control circuit said identification circuit including a mask programmed, one-bit shift register having:
a power input for receiving excitation voltage from a voltage source;
a power ground;
a first load transistor having a source, a gate connected to receive said load signal, and a drain;
a mask programmable portion of the shift register being mask programmable to either connect the source of the first load transistor to the voltage source to provide a one-bit shift register having a first digital value or to connect the source of the first load transistor to the power ground to provide a one-bit shift register having a second digital value which is different than the first digital value;
an input transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first load transistor, and a drain;
a first pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the input transistor, a gate connected to receive said first clock signal, and a drain;
a second load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to the gate of the first pass transistor, and a drain connected to the source of the first pass transistor;
a first output transistor having a source, a gate connected to the drain of the first pass transistor, and a drain;
a third load transistor having a source connected to said voltage source, a gate connected to receive said second clock signal, and a drain connected to the drain of the first output transistor;
a second pass transistor having a source connected to the drain of the third load transistor, a gate connected to the gate of the third load transistor, and a drain for outputting a first or a second digital value in response to said load and clock signals;
and
an output line interconnecting said identification circuit and said printer control circuit for conducting the digital code to the printer control circuit;
wherein said printer control circuit interprets the digital code and determines the print head identifying information.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ink jet print head identification circuit with serial out, dynamic shift registers

Life of this patent

Ink jet print head identification circuit with serial out, dynamic shift registers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25