Printing agent containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298949-B2
Application number	US-201716753415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

It is disclosed a printing agent container having ink an authenticity detection mechanisms comprising: a receptacle having a top wall a bottom wall opposing such top wall and a sidewall between such top wall and such bottom wall; an internal volume defined by such receptacle that contains a printing agent, and a vibration transducer on one of the side walls, wherein the container is to be mechanically coupled to a carriage so that the printing fluid is disposed on the bottom surface, being the vibration transducer to detect a vibration signal induced by the carriage and wherein the container comprises a communication channel to a controller being the controller to receive through the communication channel a container signature from the vibration transducer and to identify a container identification signal associated to the container signature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printing agent container comprising:
a receptacle having a top wall, a bottom wall opposing the top wall and a sidewall between the top wall and the bottom wall;
an internal volume defined by the receptacle and that contains a printing agent, wherein the printing agent is disposed on the bottom wall;
a vibration transducer on the sidewall, wherein the vibration transducer is to generate a signal representing a vibration detected by the vibration transducer and induced by a carriage when the printing agent container is mechanically coupled to the carriage;
a memory storing information including a container signature of the printing agent container; and
a communication interface to a controller, wherein the communication interface is to transmit, to the controller, the signal generated by the vibration transducer and the information stored in the memory for correlation of the signal and the information by the controller.

2. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the signal induced by the carriage is responsive to a printing operation.

3. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the signal is responsive to a movement of the carriage.

4. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the container signature comprises an ink level signal.

5. The printing agent container of claim 4 , wherein the controller is to determine an ink level from the container signature.

6. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is a strain-based transducer.

7. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is a wired communication interface.

8. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises an acoustic signal.

9. The printing agent container of claim 1 , comprising a protruding signature element.

10. The printing agent container of claim 9 , wherein the protruding signature element is an element protruding from the sidewall.

11. The printing agent container of claim 9 , wherein the protruding signature element is located within the internal volume.

12. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the correlation is to determine a level of the printing agent in the internal volume.

13. The printing agent container of claim 1 , wherein the container signature stored in the memory is based on a calibration procedure of the printing agent container.

14. A method for a printing agent container having a sidewall, a top wall, and a bottom wall defining an internal volume, wherein a printing agent is disposed on the bottom wall, the method comprising:
storing, in a memory of the printing agent container, information including a container signature of the printing agent container;
measuring, by a vibration transducer located on the sidewall of the printing agent container, a vibration induced by a carriage to which the printing agent container is to be mechanically coupled;
generating, by the vibration transducer, a signal representing the vibration; and
transmitting, by the vibration transducer to a controller, the signal generated by the vibration transducer and the information including the container signature for correlation of the signal and the information by the controller.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating, by the controller, a container identification for the printing agent container based on correlating, by the controller, the signal generated by the vibration transducer with the information including the container signature from the memory.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal induced by the carriage is generated responsive to a movement of the carriage.

17. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
determining, by the controller, a level of the printing agent in the internal volume based on the correlation.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the container signature stored in the memory is based on a calibration procedure of the printing agent container.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal is generated during a printing operation in which the carriage is moved.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Anderson Daryl E
• Gardner James Michael

Classifications

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• B41J2002/17583

  using vibration or ultra-sons for ink level indication · CPC title

• B41J2/17546 Primary

  electronically · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title