Methods for encoding mechanical keys on printheads
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsRam Santhanam, Marcus Scholz, Junji Yamamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mechanical key scheme is integrated into a composite pattern on both a print cartridge and its corresponding printer carriage chute. In a preferred embodiment the pattern incorporates a plurality of adjacent contiguous columns on both sides of a latch, with each column capable of defining multiple position bits in order to precisely differentiate between different types and/or different families of print cartridges.
Claims10
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge.
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths, wherein the first range of different lengths includes at least three different lengths, and the plurality of columns includes at least three columns which each define multiple bit positions;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge.
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge, wherein the highest length in the first range defines a benchmark, and wherein any total length of two corresponding aligned columns on the print cartridge and the carriage, respectively, which exceeds the benchmark prevents the print cartridge from being mounted in operating mode on the printer carriage.
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge, wherein the highest length in the first range defines a benchmark, and wherein a print cartridge is provided with truncated columns which are all shorter than the benchmark to enable such print cartridge to be mounted in operating mode on several different printer carriages.
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge, wherein at least four different columns are provided for both the print cartridges and the carriages, which columns each have at least four multiple bit positions.
A method of encoding a mechanical key latch on different types of inkjet print cartridges intended for installation in a secure operating mode on various printing devices, comprising:
- creating a print cartridge key matrix on a plurality of print cartridges by forming a first plurality of columns on each print cartridge, with the columns each having a first range of different lengths;
- creating on a printer carriage a related carriage key matrix associated with one or more of the print cartridge key matrices, with the related carriage key matrix forming another plurality of columns each also having the same first range of different lengths;
- and
- differentiating between different print cartridges by having at least one of the plurality of columns in one print cartridge longer than a corresponding column in another print cartridge, wherein the highest length in the first range defines a benchmark, and wherein a carriage is provided with truncated columns which are all shorter than the benchmark to enable such carriage to receive several different types of print cartridges mounted in operating mode on such carriage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.