Systems and methods for automatically detecting a number of remaining sheets of print media
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorRyan H. Kolodziej
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Printing systems and methods of operating printing systems are described. In but one embodiment, a printer comprises one or more processors, a print media tray for supporting a supply of print media, and a sensor operably associated with the print media tray. The sensor is configured to ascertain a measure associated with an amount of print media in the print media tray. The processor and the sensor are configured to ascertain, from the measure provided by the sensor, a number of remaining sheets of print media. In another embodiment, the sensor comprises a sonar sensor that is operably associated with a paper tray that holds a supply of paper.
Claims32
A printer comprising:
- one or more processors;
- a print media tray for supporting a supply of print media;
- a sensor operably associated with the print media tray and configured to non-capacitatively ascertain a direct measure of a direct distance between the sensor and the print media tray associated with an amount of print media in the print media tray without physically engaging the print media;
- and
- the one or more processors and the sensor being configured to ascertain, from changes in said direct measure of said direct distance, a number of remaining sheets of print media.
A printer comprising:
- one or more processors;
- a paper tray for supporting a supply of paper;
- a sonar sensor operably associated with the paper tray and configured to ascertain a direct measure of a direct distance between the sonar sensor and the paper tray and associated with an amount of paper in the paper tray;
- and
- the one or more processors and the sonar sensor being configured to ascertain, from changes in said direct measure of said direct distance, a number of remaining sheets of paper.
A printing system comprising:
- multiple printers each of which comprising a paper tray for supporting a supply of paper, and means operably associated with the paper tray for automatically ascertaining a direct measure of a direct distance between said means and the paper tray and associated with a number of remaining sheets of paper in the paper tray without physically engaging any of the sheets of paper in the paper tray, and calculating, from differences in said direct distance, a number of remaining sheets of paper;
- at least one host computer that is configured to send print jobs to one or more multiple printers;
- and
- a network linking the one host computer and the multiple printers and over which the print jobs can be sent.
A method of operating a printer comprising:
- non-capacitatively determining a direct measure of a direct distance between a sensor and a printer paper tray, said direct distance being associated with an amount of paper remaining in a printer, said determining being performed without physically engaging the paper;
- and
- calculating, from changes in said direct distance, a number of remaining pages of paper.
A method of operating a printer comprising:
- receiving a print job with a printer;
- determining how many pages of paper are going to be needed to print the print job at the printer;
- automatically determining whether the printer has enough pages of paper to complete the print job given the number of pages of paper that are needed for the print job, said automatically determining comprising non-capacitatively ascertaining a direct measure of a direct distance associated with the number of pages of paper in the printer in a manner in which the paper is not physically engaged, and from changes in said direct distance ascertaining the number of pages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.