Method and device for determining the quantities of consumable products contained in reservoirs grouped together next to one another and document printing device using this method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMarie-Hélène Froger, Pascal Coudray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Determination of the quantities of products contained in reservoirs grouped together next to one another by using a capacitive arrangement associated with these reservoirs. According to the invention, electrodes of the capacitive arrangement (121a, 122a-121b, 122b-121c, 122c) respectively associated in pairs with the reservoirs (112a, 112b, 112c) are selected, the transmitted signals (Si) are successively detected, measured and stored, and each measurement is corrected by correction values depending on at least certain of the other measurements.
Claims26
A method for determining quantities of consumable products respectively contained in plural reservoirs, each said plural reservoirs being provided with a capacitive arrangement having first and second conductive electrodes of which the first conductive electrode is connectable to an excitation signal generator and of which the second conductive electrode is connectable to detection and measurement means, such that an excitation signal applied to a capacitive arrangement for one of said plural reservoirs results in a signal representing a quantity of product contained in said one of the plural reservoirs, comprising the steps of:
- selecting electrodes of a capacitive arrangement for one of said plural reservoirs in order to apply an excitation signal across said one of the plural reservoirs;
- detecting and measuring the corresponding resulting signal;
- and
- correcting the measurement of the resulting signal by correction values that depend on at least measurements of resulting signals for others of the plural reservoirs.
A device for determining quantities of consumable products respectively contained in plural reservoirs, each said plural reservoirs being provided with a capacitive arrangement having first and second conductive electrodes of which the first conductive electrode is connectable to a first excitation signal generator and of which the second conductive electrode is connectable to detection and measurement means, such that an excitation signal applied to the capacitive arrangement for one of said plural reservoirs results in a resulting signal representing a quantity of product contained in said one of said plural reservoirs, comprising:
- selection means controllable to successively select electrodes corresponding to each of said plural reservoirs, in order to successively connect selected electrodes to said excitation signal generator and to said detection and measurement means;
- a processing circuit controlling said selection means;
- and
- storage means for storing measurements of said resulting signals,
- wherein said processing circuit corrects a measurement of a resulting signal for one reservoir by correction values that depend on at least measurements of resulting signals for others of said plural reservoirs.
A document printing device comprising:
- plural ink reservoirs with each ink reservoir communicating with a respective print head through an output duct;
- a carriage for carrying said print heads and constrained to move along guidance means arranged facing a print medium movement mechanism;
- quantity determining means for determining quantities of ink respectively contained in each of said plural reservoirs, said quantity determining means including for each of said plural reservoirs, a capacitive arrangement having first and second conductive electrodes of which the first conductive electrode is connectable to a first excitation signal generator and of which the second conductive electrode is connectable to detection and measurement means, such that an excitation signal applied to said capacitive arrangement for one of said plural reservoirs results in a resulting signal representing a quantity of ink contained in said one of the plural reservoirs;
- selection means controllable to successively select electrodes corresponding to each of said plural reservoirs, in order to successively connect selected electrodes to said excitation signal generator and to said detection and measurement means;
- a processing circuit controlling said selection means;
- and
- storage means for storing measurements of said resulting signals,
- wherein said processing circuit corrects a measurement of a resulting signal for one reservoir by correction values that depend on at least measurements of resulting signals for others of said plural reservoirs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.