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US 7,740,347 B2Granted
Ink usage tracking in a cartridge for a mobile device
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorsKia Silverbrook, Richard Thomas Plunkett, Simon Robert Walmsley, Paul Lapstun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A replaceable print cartridge for installation in a mobile device, the print cartridge comprising: a printhead; at least one ink reservoir; storage means configured to store information indicative of an amount of printing that can be achieved by the cartridge based on the amount of ink in the at least one ink reservoir; and an information changing mechanism for changing a value of the information.
Claims14
A replaceable print cartridge for installation in a mobile device, the print cartridge comprising:
- a structure configured for removable installation in the mobile device;
- at least one ink reservoir;
- storage means configured to store information indicative of an amount of printing achievable by the cartridge based on the amount of ink in the at least one ink reservoir, the information being stored in the form of a plurality of bits, the storage means including a plurality of first fusible links, each of the first fusible links storing one of the bits;
- an information changing mechanism for changing a value of the information by selectively blow one or more of the first fusible links each time a predetermined amount of ink is consumed;
- a printhead having a second fusible link which destructs the printhead in response to the value of the information reaching a predetermined threshold;
- wherein,
- the structure supports the reservoir, the printhead, the storage means and the information changing mechanism for simultaneous installation and removal from the mobile device.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.