Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6543875
-
Patent Number
6,543,875
-
Date Filed
Monday, April 16, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 8, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 347 23
- 347 22
- 347 108
- 346 17
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A method and apparatus for servicing a printer which has a processor and a display includes a component having circuitry for communicating a status of the component, where the processor, coupled to the component, further includes second circuitry for determining a service requirement for the component in response to analyzing the status of the component. Also included is an indicator, observable by a user performing the service at least when the display is not observable by the user, for indicating the service requirement to the user. The indicator may be included with the particular component, and may be a visual and/or an audible indicator.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to printers, and in particular to a method and apparatus for reporting the status of a printhead in an inkjet printer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An ink jet printer is a non-impact printing device which forms characters and other images by ejecting ink droplets, in a controllable manner, onto printable media.
Over time, inkjet printing has become more sophisticated, and now provides the capability to print in any number of colors, to print complicated graphic designs, to utilize a vast number of different fonts, and to print photographs. An ink jet printer typically includes at least one of the following: an ink reservoir; a printhead; a printhead-cleaning device; a mechanism for positioning the printhead with respect to the media; a media handling mechanism; and, a processor for controlling printing operations. The printer may also include a front panel for allowing a user to interact with the printer.
The ink reservoir stores a quantity of ink for use by the printhead. The reservoir typically supplies black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks which may be pigment based, dye based, paraffin based, as well as hybrid or composite based depending on the application. The reservoir may be located remotely from the printhead and may be connected by tubing or another suitable ink conduit for supplying ink to the printhead. The reservoir may alternatively be integrated with the printhead as a single assembly.
The printhead typically operates by ejecting ink droplets through nozzles onto the printing media. The printhead may utilize different techniques to accomplish this ejection. For example, in a thermal printhead, each nozzle includes a small chamber with an electrical heating element. Energizing the heating element causes the volume of ink present in the chamber to vaporize and to be ejected through the nozzle. The printhead typically includes a large number of nozzles which are individually controlled to form desired images on the media.
The printhead cleaning device is utilized to clean the printhead. The device typically includes a wiper, over which the printhead passes to wipe off any accumulated ink, ink residue, or fibers from the media which may collect on the printhead.
The printhead is usually mounted with other printheads in a carriage which moves back and forth to precisely position each printhead, and thus the nozzles of each printhead, with respect to the media. The carriage movement may be controlled by various positioning mechanisms. As an example, stepper motors may be used to guide the carriage along a rod or rods. The operation of the printhead positioning system may be coordinated with that of the media handling system to accurately place the ink drops on the media. The accuracy of the printhead positioning and media handling mechanisms is such that large format printers currently available are capable of printing 1200 dots per inch or more.
The media handling mechanism may include a series of rollers for advancing the media through the printer and for precisely positioning the media in coordination with the printhead positioning mechanism. A central platen is typically included to support the media during printing. Examples of printing media may include paper, acetate, cloth, etc.
For large format printers, also called plotters, there is a trend toward longer printing areas, and thus longer plotters, to accommodate wider media. At the present time plotters accommodating sixty inch wide media are commonly available. Another developing trend is an increase in the number of printheads per plotter. The number of ink compositions available for use is also proliferating in order to provide the number of colors and photographic quality desired by users. Correspondingly, the number of printheads present in a plotter to deliver these inks is also increasing. As the number of printheads increases, the number of reservoirs is also increasing, with a trend toward having one reservoir per printhead for increased ink capacity. An additional trend is an increase in the complexity and sophistication of the user interface. As software continues to play a larger role in the operation of a plotter, the user interface is becoming more complex and is capable of providing a user with increasing amounts of information about the system. However, due to display size constraints, this information may be initially displayed in an abbreviated format and details may only be available by traversing a number of screens.
On occasion, components of the plotter require adjustment, replacement, refilling, etc. These types of operations are referred to herein as service or service operations.
Several problems arise when a user is alerted that a component in the printer requires servicing. Because of the display constraints, the user may only receive an abbreviated message, and then must navigate through a series of screens to determine the problem and what type of servicing is required. If multiple components require different types of service at the same time, this navigation may be a tedious exercise and the user may be required to remember a large amount of information. Another problem is the distance a user may have to travel between the display and the component service area. The user may be required to move back and forth between the display and the component service area in order to obtain information and then perform the necessary service operations. In addition, the user may have to be able to distinguish which component needs service from a number of components that may be present in the same location.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for reporting various conditions of a particular printer component by utilizing indicators that allow a user to service the component without excessive movement between a display device and the component to be serviced.
It is another object of this invention to report various conditions of a particular printer component by utilizing indicators that are detectable by a user while the user is located proximate to the servicing area for a particular component.
It is still another object of this invention to provide for reporting various conditions of a particular printer component by utilizing indicators located proximate to the particular component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus are disclosed for servicing a printer which has a processor and a display. The invention includes a component having circuitry for communicating a status of the component, where the processor, coupled to the component, further includes second circuitry for determining a service requirement for the component in response to analyzing the status of the component. Also included is an indicator, observable by a user performing the service at least when the display is not observable by the user, for indicating the service requirement to the user. The indicator may be included with the particular component, and may be a visual and/or an audible indicator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above set forth and other features of the invention are made more apparent in the ensuing Detailed Description of the Invention when read in conjunction with the attached Drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a plotter in accordance with the invention in cut-away form;
FIG. 2
is a block diagram of the plotter;
FIG. 3
shows a printhead including an indicator according to the teachings of the invention;
FIG. 4
shows a printhead where the indicator includes a number of LEDs;
FIG. 5
shows an embodiment where the indicator is an audible indicator;
FIG. 6
shows an embodiment where the indicators are mounted on a printhead carriage;
FIG. 7
shows an embodiment where the indicators are mounted on ink reservoirs;
FIG. 8
shows an embodiment where the indicators are mounted on an ink reservoir frame;
FIG. 9
shows an embodiment where the indicators are mounted on printhead cleaning devices; and
FIG. 10
is a block diagram showing examples of connections among some example components of the plotter having indicators in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
illustrates an example of a large format inkjet printer, also called a plotter
10
, in accordance with the present invention. Plotters are usually used for printing conventional engineering and architectural drawings, as well as high quality poster-sized images and the like, in an industrial, office, home, or other environment.
The plotter
10
may include a printing assembly
15
which is preferably supported by a pair of leg assemblies
20
. The plotter
10
in this example utilizes at least one ink reservoir
25
1
-
25
n
for each ink, supplying ink to a corresponding printhead
30
1
-
30
n
. The printheads
30
1
-
30
n
are preferably mounted in a carriage
40
which operates to precisely position the nozzles of each printhead
30
1
-
30
n
over the media
50
. For each printhead
30
1
-
30
n
, there is preferably a printhead cleaning device
35
1
-
35
n
. A media handling mechanism
45
may be used to advance print media
50
through the plotter
10
.
The plotter
10
may also include a processor
55
, that receives image data and/or instructions from a host device, typically a computer, such as a personal computer or other type of computer system (not shown). The processor
55
directs the printing operations of the plotter
10
. Each of the components may include circuitry or other means that allows communication with the processor
55
in order to identify and determine the status of the component.
The plotter
10
may also include a front panel
60
which provides a user interface by way of a display
62
and a keypad
64
, where the display
62
provides information to the user and the keypad
64
accepts input from the user. A monitor (not shown) coupled to the host device may also be used to display visual information to an operator, such as printer status, service requirements, error conditions, etc.
FIG. 2
shows a block diagram of plotter
10
. Plotter
10
includes processor
55
for directing printer operations and front panel
60
including display
62
and keypad
64
for displaying messages to a user and receiving user inputs, respectively. The plotter
10
also includes a carriage motor drive
205
for positioning the carriage
40
, a media drive
210
that operates to position the media
50
, and a printhead drive
215
for controlling the individual nozzles on each printhead
30
1
-
30
n
. Printer
10
also includes a cleaning device drive
220
for positioning printhead cleaning devices
35
1
-
35
n
and memory
225
for storing programs, including a printer operating system, temporary system operating parameters and temporary data.
The processor
55
executes the programs in memory
225
either automatically, in response to user inputs from front panel
60
, or in response to inputs from the host device.
The plotter
10
also includes sensors for determining the status of certain components. Some examples of sensors are shown in
FIG. 2. A
reservoir sensor
230
may be provided to determine various characteristics of at least one of the reservoirs
25
including the amount of ink in that particular reservoir
25
. An ink drop detector
235
may be used to determine if a nozzle actually ejects ink when directed. To determine the number of drops ejected, an ink drop counter
240
is used. The ink drop detector
235
and the ink drop counter
240
may be used in combination to determine if a printhead
30
is empty and/or has reached the end of its useful life. A printhead sensor
400
may record various aspects of the printhead
30
including electrical continuity and power supply voltages. A cleaning device sensor
245
may be used to determine if a spittoon, present as part of a particular printhead cleaning device
35
, is full.
Each of the components, for example, the reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
, printheads,
30
1
-
30
n
and printhead cleaning devices
35
1
-
35
n
, may include circuitry for providing status information about the particular component.
The processor
55
also directs the performance of maintenance procedures and quality checks on a periodic basis. The processor
55
may be capable of testing various characteristics of the components and, based on the results of a test of a particular component, direct the performance of a maintenance procedure or quality check. For example, before starting a printing task, also known as a job, the processor
55
may query the reservoir sensor
230
to determine if there is enough of each required ink to complete the job. At this point several things may happen. As one example, the processor
55
may not be able to establish communication with a particular reservoir
25
n
. In that case, the processor
55
may direct the user to remove and reseat the reservoir
25
n
in an attempt to ensure a proper electrical connection. As another example, the processor may determine that the reservoir
25
n
does not contain enough ink and may direct the user to replace or refill the reservoir
25
n
.
As a further example of a maintenance or quality procedure, after a nozzle on printhead
30
n
has been energized a specified number of times, the processor
55
may direct the printhead
30
n
to pass over the printhead cleaning device
35
n
to wipe off the nozzle and then to fire the nozzle to ensure that it continues to emit ink properly. In the event that the ink drop detector
235
fails to detect a drop, the processor
55
may direct the user to clean or replace the printhead
30
n
.
Additional examples of testing that may be performed on a particular component may include the following: A component presence check may be performed, where the presence of a component may be verified by accessing circuitry known to be present in the component. A power supply check may be performed to verify that the particular component is being supplied with the correct power and/or is not consuming an improper amount of power. A continuity check may be performed to ensure that a component is seated properly. A model check may be executed where the processor
55
verifies that the correct model of a particular component is installed. The functionality of circuitry included as part of the component may also be verified. Information related to the useful life or warranty life of a component may be tested to insure proper printing quality. The temperature of a component may be measured to ensure proper operating conditions. Information that may be stored in a memory device of the component may also be read to determine a particular characteristic of the component. Based on the results of these tests, the processor
55
may instruct a user to execute maintenance and/or quality procedures as may be required.
It should be understood that the processor
55
may direct maintenance and/or quality procedures for each component of the plotter
10
, including the printhead-cleaning devices
35
1
-
35
n
, the media handling mechanism
45
, and any other component of the plotter
10
that may be capable of being identified or controlled by the processor
55
. Typical service operations may include any operation suitable for placing the plotter in operating condition and may further include replacing or refilling a reservoir
25
1
-
25
n
, reseating a reservoir
25
1
-
25
n
that might not be seated correctly, cleaning or replacing a printhead
30
1
-
30
n
, reseating a printhead
30
1
-
30
n
, adjusting the alignment of the carriage
40
, replenishing the media
50
, adjusting the media handling mechanism
45
, etc.
It can be seen from
FIG. 1
that the various plotter components, in particular reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
and printheads
30
1
-
30
n
may be remotely located from the front panel
60
. Thus, in the event that a component requires servicing, a user may first have to consult the display
62
to determine which component requires attention and what service operation is required, and then move to the remotely positioned component to service the component. As mentioned above, if several components require different service operations, a user may be required to move back and forth several times between the display
62
and the particular component, may be required to distinguish the failing component from other components present in the same location, and may be required to remember a large amount of information.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a user with an indicator, observable to the user while the service operation is being performed, to indicate which component requires attention, and preferably to indicate the service procedure required.
FIG. 3
shows an example of one embodiment of such an indicator. In
FIG. 3
, a detailed view of the printheads
30
1
-
30
n
is depicted. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, each of the printheads
30
1
-
30
n
includes an indicator
65
1
-
65
n
for providing information to the user. Using printhead
30
1
as an example, indicator
65
1
is preferably a visual device, for example, a bicolor LED. Indicator
65
1
may emit one color, preferably red, to indicate that service is required for printhead
30
1
, and may emit a different color, preferably green, to indicate that no service is required for printhead
30
1
. The processor
55
, in addition to alerting the user that service is required by way of the display
62
, is also able to control the indicator
65
1
by electrical or other means in order to communicate the various conditions and service requirements to the user.
In another embodiment, indicator
65
1
may be a display, for example, a liquid crystal display, that may provide an indication to the user regarding whether or not the printhead
30
1
requires service, and may further provide detailed instructions regarding the service procedure.
In still another embodiment, indicator
65
1
may be made up of more than one LED
71
,
72
,
73
, as shown in FIG.
4
. LEDs
71
,
72
,
73
may light in a particular color, a set of colors, a pattern, may flash, or may otherwise illuminate to indicate that service is required for printhead
30
1
. LEDs
71
,
72
,
73
may also illuminate in a manner that specifies the particular type of service operation to be performed. For example, LEDs
71
,
72
,
73
may all be red in the event that printhead
30
1
requires service, and may flash sequentially to indicate that the printhead
30
1
needs to be reseated. Once reseated, the LEDs may all turn green, indicating that the reseating action successfully cured the problem. It should be understood that indicators
65
1
-
65
n
may include any number of LEDs suitable for providing the indications described herein.
FIG. 5
shows another embodiment where the indicator
65
1
for printhead
30
1
is an audible indicator
80
1
. The audible indicator may provide an indication that service is required by a single audible tone, or may provide a series of tones that may indicate not only that service is required but also the type of service operation that may need to be performed. The audible indication may not be limited to tones but may include any audible sound, including words or other vocal instructions. In a further embodiment, audible indicators
80
1
-
80
n
may be implemented as a single audible indicator for a number of components. For example, returning to
FIG. 1
, a speaker
90
may be utilized to provide synthesized voice instructions to a user. Those instructions when displayed as text on display
62
might otherwise be unobservable when servicing the reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
. The audible indicator
80
1
may also include a piezoelectric device or any device suitable for producing sound.
FIG. 6
shows yet another example of an embodiment of indicator
65
1
where indicator
65
1
includes three LEDs
75
,
76
,
77
mounted on the carriage
40
. It should be understood that the indicators
65
1
-
65
n
may be located anywhere that is observable by the user when the user is performing service on a particular component, including areas in close proximity to the component, covers, support structures, carriers, or other parts of the plotter
10
.
FIG. 7
shows another example of a plotter component that includes an indicator in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 7
shows an enlarged view of reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
including indicators
85
1
-
85
n
. In this embodiment, indicators
85
1
-
85
n
are bicolor LEDs that operate in a fashion similar to the LEDs
65
1
-
65
n
shown in FIG.
3
. The indicators
85
1
-
85
n
on reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
are preferably controlled by the processor
55
and may emit different colors to indicate that service is required or that the reservoir is operating properly. Indicators
85
1
-
85
n
each may also include more than one LED, and may light in a particular color, a set of colors, a pattern, may flash, or may otherwise illuminate to indicate that service is required for the corresponding reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
. The indicators
85
1
-
85
n
may also illuminate in a way to specify the specific type of service operation required. In another embodiment, indicators
85
1
-
85
n
may be displays, for example, liquid crystal displays, for providing indications to user in accordance with the teachings herein.
FIG. 8
shows another embodiment where the indicators
85
1
-
85
n
are mounted on an ink reservoir frame
92
. The ink reservoir frame may serve as a support or mounting mechanism for the ink reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
, and may also serve as a carrier for transporting the ink reservoirs
25
1
-
25
n
.
In still another embodiment, indicators
85
1
-
85
n
each may be an audible indicator that operates in a manner similar to the indicators
80
shown in FIG.
5
. The audible indication may not be limited to tones but may include any audible sound, including words or other vocal instructions.
FIG. 9
shows printhead cleaning devices
35
1
-
35
n
mounted in a chassis
95
. Each printhead cleaning device
35
1
-
35
n
preferably includes a number of wipers
110
1
-
110
n
, a spittoon
120
1
-
120
n
, and an indicator
100
1
-
100
n
. As an example of a service operation that may be required for a printhead cleaning device
35
1
, the processor
55
may record the number of times a printhead
30
1
passes over the printhead cleaning device
35
1
contacting wipers
110
1
. After a specified number of “wipes,” the processor
55
may indicate to the user that the wipers
110
1
, or the whole printhead cleaning device
35
1
, should be replaced. In another example, the spitton
120
1
is used to capture ink expelled by the printhead
30
1
during certain service operations. The processor
55
may count the number of drops expelled into the spittoon
120
1
and upon a determination that the spittoon
120
1
may be full, provide an indication to the user that the spittoon
120
1
should be emptied or the printhead cleaning device
35
1
should be replaced.
The indicators
100
1
-
100
n
may include visible and audible indicators that service is required for a particular printhead cleaning device
35
1
-
35
n
and may also indicate the particular service procedure to be performed, as described in the embodiments previously disclosed herein.
FIG. 10
is a block diagram showing examples of connections among some example components of the plotter
10
having indicators in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The processor
55
may be coupled to each component
300
,
305
,
310
,
315
,
320
,
325
and receives the status of each component through status lines
330
,
335
,
340
,
345
,
350
,
355
. The processor is preferably coupled to indicators
370
,
375
,
380
, and
385
and is capable of enabling them through indicator lines
400
,
410
,
420
,
430
. Upon determining that a condition requiring service for a particular component exists, the processor presents the information to the display
62
and enables the indicator for the particular component requiring service. Indicator
370
may be embodied as a bicolor LED for indicating a service condition for component
300
, while indicator
375
may be embodied as a plurality of LEDs for indicating a service condition for component
305
. Indicator
380
may be embodied as an audible device for indicating a service condition for component
310
, while indicator
385
may be an audible device for indicating a service condition for each of components
315
,
320
,
325
, individually or as a group.
While described in the context of a plotter
10
, it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in any mechanism that includes printing mechanisms and components that require service or other user intervention, where the information required to perform the service may not be readily observable by the user. For example, some of the printing mechanisms that may embody the present invention include desk top printers, portable printing units, copiers, cameras, video printers, facsimile machines, etc.
It should also be understood that while the various indicators have been described in the context of various visual and audible indicators, the present invention may include any indicating scheme that may be perceived or observed by a user when performing the service operations.
Thus, while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from its scope and spirit.
Claims
- 1. A printer having a processor and a display, said printer comprising:a component comprising first circuitry for communicating a status of said component, wherein said processor, coupled to said component, further comprises second circuitry for determining a service requirement for said component in response to analyzing said status of said component; and an indicator, observable by a user performing said service at least when said display is not observable by said user, for indicating said service requirement to said user.
- 2. The printer of claim 1 wherein said component comprises said indicator.
- 3. The printer of claim 1 wherein said indicator is located in close proximity to said component.
- 4. The printer of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a visual indicator.
- 5. The printer of claim 4 wherein said indicator comprises an LED.
- 6. The printer of claim 4 wherein said indicator comprises a bicolor LED wherein a first LED color indicates a service requirement and a second LED color indicates the lack of a service requirement.
- 7. The printer of claim 4 wherein said indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs which are selectively illuminated to indicate a service requirement.
- 8. The printer of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises an audible indicator.
- 9. The printer of claim 8 wherein said audible indicator emits at least one tone to indicate a service requirement.
- 10. The printer of claim 8 wherein said audible indicator emits vocal instructions to indicate a service requirement.
- 11. A method of servicing a printer having a main display and a processor, said method comprising the steps of:determining a service requirement for a component of said printer; indicating said service requirement on said main display; and indicating said service requirement to a user such that said indication is observable by said user when performing said service at least when said main display is not observable by said user.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said component comprises said indication.
- 13. The method of claim 11 wherein said indication is located in close proximity to said component.
- 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said indication comprises a visual indication.
- 15. The method of claim 11 wherein said indication comprises an LED.
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein said indication comprises a bicolor LED wherein a first LED color indicates a service requirement and a second LED color indicates the lack of a service requirement.
- 17. The method of claim 14 wherein said indication comprises a plurality of LEDs which illuminate in a pattern to indicate a service requirement.
- 18. The method of claim 11 wherein said indication comprises an audible indication.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said audible indication includes at least one tone which indicates a service requirement.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said audible indication includes vocal instructions to indicate a service requirement.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
6070960 |
Nakajima |
Jun 2000 |
A |
6364448 |
Nishioka et al. |
Jun 2000 |
B2 |