Back to results
US 6,802,581 B2Granted
Method, program product and system for ink management control
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsKlevin Hasseler, Yaguang Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are systems and methods for ink management utilizing a master controller, which receives configuration information from one or more ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, or ink level measurement devices. The controller receives master controller commands; reads data from system sensors; reads and writes data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller; and independently takes action in response to data from a smart chip or sensor.
Claims37
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller, comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- and
- independently of the master controller taking an action in response to fault indicative data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor.
2 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- wherein the ink level measurement designation comprises a combination of different types of ink level measurements, and
- wherein the combination of ink level measurements methods may receive data for ink level measurement from three or more of drop count detectors, pressure detectors, electrical coil proximity detectors, reservoir weight measurement, and ultrasonic surface level detectors.
3 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- polling the system to determine at least one of smart chips and sensors in the system;
- comparing the smart chips and sensors determined to be in the system in the polling step to smart chips and sensors provided in the configuration information;
- and
- sending a signal reporting a discrepancy.
5 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- and
- after receiving configuration information looking in the non-volatile memory associated with the system for any past fault and sending a signal reporting the same.
3 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- and
- after receiving configuration information polling the smart chips for a past fault and sending a signal reporting the same.
3 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- and
- wherein selected data from the ink management system is prevented from being accessed by a host.
3 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- and
- wherein the ink management system includes multiple reservoirs of the same ink type, and further comprising controlling the multiple reservoirs to supply ink from only one of the multiple reservoirs of the same ink type at a time.
3 more elements
A method for ink management in an ink management system for use with a master controller comprising:
- receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- receiving master controller commands;
- reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- independently taking an action in response to data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor;
- and
- displaying information on the ink management system measurement or a status on a display physically located on a slave controller for the ink management system.
3 more elements
An ink management system for use with a host, comprising:
- a different smart chip associated with each one of a plurality of reservoirs or printheads;
- non-volatile memory associated with the ink management system;
- and
- a processor for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation and for receiving master controller commands from a master controller, and reading data from sensors and reading and writing data to and from the smart chips and the non-volatile memory in the ink management system, and processing data from at least one smart chip or sensor, determining if the data meets a fault indicative criteria, and if the data meets the fault indicative criteria then independently taking an action independently of the master controller.
1 more element
An ink management system for use with a host, comprising:
- a different smart chip associated with each one of a plurality of reservoirs or printheads;
- non-volatile memory associated with the ink management system;
- and
- a processor for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation and for receiving master controller commands, and reading data from sensors and reading and writing data to and from the smart chips and the non-volatile memory in the ink management system, and processing data from at least one smart chip or sensor, determining if the data meets a criteria, and if the data meets the criteria then independently taking an action, and
- wherein the processor initiates a signal to poll the system to determine at least one of smart chips and sensors in the system, compares the smart chips and sensors determined to be in the system in the polling step to smart chips and sensors provided in the configuration information, and initiates a signal reporting a discrepancy.
2 more elements
An ink management system for use with a host, comprising:
- a different smart chip associated with each one of a plurality of reservoirs or printheads;
- non-volatile memory associated with the ink management system;
- and
- a processor for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation and for receiving master controller commands, and reading data from sensors and reading and writing data to and from the smart chips and the non-volatile memory in the ink management system, and processing data from at least one smart chip or sensor, determining if the data meets a criteria, and if the data meets the criteria then independently taking an action, and
- wherein the processor after receiving configuration information looks in the non-volatile memory for any past fault and initiates a signal reporting the same.
2 more elements
An ink management system for use with a host, comprising:
- a different smart chip associated with each one of a plurality of reservoirs or printheads;
- non-volatile memory associated with the ink management system;
- and
- a processor for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation and for receiving master controller commands, and reading data from sensors and reading and writing data to and from the smart chips and the non-volatile memory in the ink management system, and processing data from at least one smart chip or sensor, determining if the data meets a criteria, and if the data meets the criteria then independently taking an action, and
- wherein the processor after receiving configuration information polls the smart chips for a past fault and initiates a signal reporting the same.
2 more elements
An ink management system for use with a host, comprising:
- a different smart chip associated with each one of a plurality of reservoirs or printheads;
- non-volatile memory associated with the ink management system;
- and
- a processor for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation and for receiving master controller commands, and reading data from sensors and reading and writing data to and from the smart chips and the non-volatile memory in the ink management system, and processing data from at least one smart chip or sensor, determining if the data meets a criteria, and if the data meets the criteria then independently taking an action, and
- wherein processor includes a program that prevents selected data from the ink management system from being accessed by a host.
2 more elements
An ink management system for use with a master controller, comprising:
- means for receiving configuration information for one or more of ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, and ink level measurement method designation;
- means for receiving master controller commands;
- means for reading data from system sensors and reading and writing data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller in the ink management system;
- and
- means for taking an action independently of the master controller in response to fault indicative data from one or more of a smart chip or a sensor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.