Using accumulated pixel counting to assess solid area density performance to enable automatic density correction and improve toner yield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9477174-B1
Application number	US-201615046016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Sep 15, 2003
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method and system to adjust pixel density based on a weight and an accumulated pixel count of a printer cartridge. According to an exemplary method, the weight and the accumulated pixel count of the printer cartridge are calculated to determine a pixel density of the printer cartridge, and then a toner output of an associated printing device is adjusted if the pixel density is outside of a predefined pixel density threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of controlling a toner output for a printing device, the method comprising:
determining, with a weight module, a weight value of toner in a printer cartridge that is installed in an associated printing device;
determining, with a counting module, an accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty;
calculating, with a calculating module, a print density value for the printer cartridge from the weight value and the accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge; and
adjusting, with an adjusting module, a toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is outside of a predefined pixel density threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined threshold value is approximately 25 L*.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including:
reducing, with the adjusting module, the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is less than approximately 25 L*.

4. The method of claim 2 , further including:
increasing, with the adjusting module, the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is greater than approximately 25 L*.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, with a counting module, an accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty further includes:
setting a pixel counting value of zero when the full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
continuously counting the number of pixels used while toner is expelled from the printer cartridge until the printer cartridge is empty; and
determining an accumulated pixel count value of the number of pixels used when the printer cartridge is empty.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including:
resetting the pixel counting value to zero when a new, full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, with a weight module, a weight value of toner in a printer cartridge that is installed in an associated printing device further includes:
recording a value of the weight of the full printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
recording a value of the weight of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty; and
subtracting the value of the weight of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty from the value of the weight of the full printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory recording medium storing instruction for performing the method of claim 1 , and a processor in communication with the memory that implements the instructions.

9. A system comprising memory storing instructions for performing the method of claim 1 , and a processor in communication with the memory which implements the instructions.

10. A system for controlling a toner output for a printing device, the system comprising:
a weight module programmed to determine a weight value of toner in a printer cartridge that is installed in an associated printing device;
a counting module programmed to determine an accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty;
a calculating module programmed to calculate a print density value for the printer cartridge from the weight value and the accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge; and
an adjusting module programmed to adjust a toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is outside of a predefined pixel density threshold value.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predefined threshold value is approximately 25 L*.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the adjusting module is further programmed to:
reduce the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is less than approximately 25 L*.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the adjusting module is further programmed to:
increase the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is greater than approximately 25 L*.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the counting module is further programmed to:
set a pixel counting value of zero when the full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
continuously count the number of pixels used while toner is expelled from the printer cartridge until the printer cartridge is empty; and
determine an accumulated pixel count value of the number of pixels used when the printer cartridge is empty.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the counting module is further programmed to:
resetting the pixel counting value to zero when a new, full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the weight module is further programmed to:
record a value of the weight of the full printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
record a value of the weight of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty; and
subtract the value of the weight of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty from the value of the weight of the full printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device.

17. A system for controlling a toner output for a printing device, the system comprising:
a weight module programmed to determine a weight value of toner in a printer cartridge that is installed in an associated printing device;
a counting module programmed to determine an accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is empty;
a calculating module programmed to calculate a print density value for the printer cartridge from the weight value and the accumulated pixel count value of the printer cartridge; and
an adjusting module programmed to:
reduce the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is less a predefined pixel density threshold value of approximately 25 L*; and
increase the toner output of the associated printing device when the print density value of the printer cartridge is greater than the predefined pixel density threshold value of approximately 25 L*.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the counting module is further programmed to:
set a pixel counting value of zero when the full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
continuously count the number of pixels used while toner is expelled from the printer cartridge until the printer cartridge is empty; and
determine an accumulated pixel count value of the number of pixels used when the printer cartridge is empty.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the counting module is further programmed to:
resetting the pixel counting value to zero when a new, full printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the weight module is further programmed to:
record a value of the weight of the full printer cartridge when the printer cartridge is installed in the associated printing device;
record a value of the weight of the printer cartridge when the printer cart

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Hill Alun Henry
• Spink Timothy David Jonathan

Classifications

• G03G15/0831 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G03G15/0848 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring developer properties or quality, e.g. charge, size, flowability · CPC title

• G03G15/0863

  provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory · CPC title

• G03G15/556

  for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement · CPC title

• G03G15/0856 Primary

  Detection or control means for the developer level · CPC title