Less restrictive print head cartridge installation in an ink jet printer

A method of operating an ink jet printer having multiple inkjet print head cartridges and multiple print head carrier locations for receiving the multiple ink jet print head cartridges, each inkjet print head cartridge having identification information indicating a type of cartridge, the identification information electronically stored in memory devices disposed on the cartridges, the printer electrically interfaced with a host computer and capable of receiving image data from the host computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving the image data including header information and image information from the host computer;
• specifying at least one appropriate type of print head cartridge to use to print the image data based upon said header information;
• accessing the memory devices and retrieving the identification information of the print head cartridges installed in the print head carrier locations;
• determining based upon the identification information whether an appropriate type of print head cartridge is installed in any of the print head carrier locations;
• displaying an error message if an appropriate type of print head cartridge is not installed in any of the print head carrier locations, and prompting a user of the printer to install a print head cartridge of an appropriate type in one of the print head carrier locations;
• configuring the printer to print using an appropriate type of print head cartridge at the cartridge's print head carrier location;
• and
• printing the image data using an appropriate type of print head cartridge.

An inkjet printer for creating an image on a printing surface, the printer capable of interfacing with a host computer, the image based upon image data received from the host computer, the printer comprising:

• print head type determination means for receiving header information from the host computer and determining at least one particular type of inkjet print head cartridge to be used in creating the image based upon the header information;
• multiple ink jet print head cartridges of different types for use in a variety of different printing situations, each print head cartridge having identification means for storing identification information relating to the type of print head cartridge;
• multiple print head carrier locations, each location capable of receiving any one of the inkjet print head cartridges, at least one location having one of the print head cartridges installed therein;
• print head cartridge selection means for accessing the identification information, determining the type of print head cartridge installed in each print head carrier location based on the identification information, and selecting a print head carrier location having a print head cartridge of the particular type installed therein;
• and
• printer configuration means for configuring the printer to use the print head cartridge installed in the print head carrier location selected by the print head cartridge selection means to create the image on the printing surface.

An ink jet printer for creating an image on a printing surface based on image data received from a host computer, the ink jet printer comprising:

• multiple ink jet print head cartridges of different types for use in a variety of different printing situations, each print head cartridge having print head cartridge identification means for storing identification information concerning the type of print head cartridge;
• multiple print head carrier locations, each capable of receiving any one of the print head cartridges;
• and
• a printer processor connected to the print head cartridge identification means of each print head cartridge, the printer processor for receiving the image data from the host computer, for determining an appropriate type of print head cartridge to use to create the image on the printing surface based upon header information received with said image data, for accessing the print head cartridge identification means of each print head cartridge and retrieving the identification information therefrom, for determining if the appropriate type of print head cartridge is installed in any of the print head carrier locations, for selecting the appropriate print head cartridge to use to create the image on the printing surface if the appropriate type of print head cartridge is installed in any of the print head carrier locations, and for configuring the printer to use the appropriate ink jet print cartridge.