BACKGROUND

[0001] In many printers, toner, ink and other printing materials are contained in removable cartridges that may be replaced periodically, for example when the printing material is fully consumed. Printing material cartridges may include a memory that enables the exchange of information between a cartridge and the printer controller when the cartridge is installed in the printer.

DRAWINGS

[0002] Fig. 1 illustrates a printer implementing one example of a printing material cartridge.

[0003] Fig. 2 illustrates one example of a printing material cartridge such as might be used in the printer shown in Fig. 1 .

[0004] Fig. 3 illustrates one example of a toner cartridge.

[0005] Fig. 4 illustrates one example of an ink cartridge.

[0006] Fig. 5 illustrates one example of an authorization process for a printing material cartridge, such as might be implemented in the printer shown in Fig. 1 .

[0007] Fig. 6 illustrates another example of an authorization process for a printing material cartridge, such as might be implemented in the printer shown in

Fig. 1 .

[0008] Fig. 7 illustrates one example of a printer controller with programming instructions to execute an authorization process, such as the processes shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0009] Figs. 8A and 8B illustrate another example of a cartridge authorization process that combines elements of the processes shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0010] Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate other examples of a printing material cartridge.

[0011] The same part numbers designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures. DESCRIPTION

[0012] It may be desirable in some printing applications to control the printing material cartridges that can be used in a printer or group of printers. For example, the parties to a print services contract may wish to limit printing to specific cartridges supplied under the contract. A new technique has been developed utilizing the memory on a printing material cartridge to help ensure that a printer will not print with an unauthorized cartridge. In one example, the cartridge memory is programmed with a first memory address storing a value that when read by a printer prompts the printer to write a printer identifier to a second (different) memory address.

[0013] Both the first and second memory addresses are write once then read only memories so that, once written, both the prompt (at the first memory address) and the printer ID (at the second memory address) may not be altered. Thus, when the cartridge is first installed into a printer and a printer ID written to the cartridge memory, the cartridge will thereafter only work in that printer or in another printer with a matching ID. The printer ID may identify a single printer or a group of printers. For example, in the case of a print services contract, the printer ID may be a fleet ID that identifies a fleet of contract printers that can use the cartridge.

[0014] This and other examples described herein illustrate but do not limit the scope of the patent, which is defined in the Claims following this Description.

[0015] As used in this document, a "fleet" of printers means a group of printers owned or operated by a single entity or identified as being subject to an obligation to limit printing to the group; and a "memory" means any non-transitory tangible processor readable medium that can embody, contain, store, or maintain information or instructions for use by a processor.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a printer 10 implementing one example of a new printing material cartridge 12. Referring to Fig. 1 , printer 10 includes cartridge 12, a print engine 14 and a controller 16 operatively connected to cartridge 12 and print engine 14. Printing material cartridge 12 is a replaceable component that supplies toner, ink or another printing material to print engine 14. While only one cartridge 12 is shown, printer 10 may include multiple printing material cartridges 12. For example, color printers may include an individual cartridge 12 for each color printing material.

[0017] Print engine 14 represents the printer components that apply a print material from cartridge 12 to a paper or other print substrate in the desired pattern for a printed image. In a laser printer 10, for example, print engine 14 may include an imaging laser, a photoconductor, a fuser and a transport system to move the print substrate past the photoconductor and the fuser. In an inkjet printer, for another example, print engine 14 may include a printhead and a transport system to move the print substrate past the printhead. Some components of print engine 14 may be part of cartridge 12. For example, in a laser printer 10, the

photoconductor may be part of a toner cartridge 12. For another example, in an inkjet printer 10, the printhead may be part of an ink cartridge 12.

[0018] Cartridge 12 includes a container 18 containing printing material 20 and a memory 22 with an address 24 for a printer identification prompt and an address 26 for a printer identification. A cartridge memory 22 is usually embodied in an integrated circuit "chip" affixed to container 18 and operatively connected to printer controller 16 through a series of contact pads and conductive traces. Printer controller 16 represents the programming, processing and associated memory, and the other electronic circuitry and components needed to control cartridge 12 and the operative elements of printer 10. In particular, controller 16 includes a memory 28 with cartridge authorization instructions 30 and a processor 31 to execute instructions 30. As described in detail below, authorization instructions 30 include instructions to communicate with cartridge memory 22 to read from and/or write to memory addresses 24 and 26, for example while initializing a new cartridge 12 installed in printer 10.

[0019] Referring now to Fig. 2 illustrating one example of a printing material cartridge 12 in more detail, cartridge memory 22 includes a write once then read only memory 32 and a rewriteable memory 34. A write once then read only memory is commonly referred to with the acronym WORM (write once read many). Thus, write once then read only memory 32 and rewriteable memory 34 are denoted by WORM and non-WORM in Fig. 2. Although not shown in Fig. 2, in addition to a prompt at address 24 and a printer ID at address 26, WORM 32 and non-WORM memories 32, 34 may include, for example, factory set configuration information that assists printer controller 16 with printing operations and usage information collected and stored after the cartridge is installed in a printer.

[0020] Prompt address 24 may have a prompt value or state 23 or a no prompt value or state 25. In one example, prompt address 24 is implemented as a single bit memory location that is either in an unwritten state (a logic 0) for no prompt 25 or a written state (a logic 1 ) for a prompt 23. Printer ID address 26 may have an ID value or state 27 or a no ID value or state 29. In one example, printer ID address 26 is implemented as a 16 bit memory location that is either in an unwritten state (0x0000) for no ID or a written state with a value representing an ID for an individual printer or a group of printers. Any suitable parameter may be used to identify a printer or group of printers including, for example, serial numbers, MAC (media access control) addresses, and customer or contract numbers for fleet IDs. The printer ID value 29 written to cartridge memory address 26 may be a hashed, encrypted or other derived version of the actual ID parameter.

[0021] Cartridge memory 22 also includes a controller 36 to control data storage and retrieval to and from memories 32, 34. Controller 36 exchanges information with printer controller 16 through data and clock terminals 38, 40 and with memories 32, 34 through internal busses 46, 48. Power is supplied to cartridge memory 22 through power and ground terminals 42, 44. Printer controller 16 initiates a read operation by sending address and control signals to data terminal 38 and the appropriate clock signals to clock terminal 40. In response, cartridge memory controller 36 retrieves the data from the memory address identified in the read command and returns the data to data terminal 38. Similarly, printer controller 16 initiates a write operation by sending data, address, and control signals to data terminal 38 and the appropriate clock signals to clock terminal 40. In response, cartridge memory controller 36 stores the data at the memory address identified in the write command. Although a four terminal memory 22 is shown in Fig. 2, other configurations are possible. For example, it may be desirable in some implementations to use a two terminal memory in which data and clock signals are transferred through the power terminal. [0022] While container 18 in cartridge 12 will usually contain printing material 20 when installed in a printer 10 as shown in Fig. 1 , cartridge 12 in Fig. 2 represents a printing material cartridge with or without printing material 20 including, for example, an empty cartridge before it is filled (or refilled) with printing material. Also, the configuration of a cartridge memory 22 in Fig. 2 is just one example. Other suitable configurations for cartridge memory 22 are possible, including other or different components, addresses, and/or information not shown in Fig. 2.

[0023] In one example, printing material cartridge 12 is implemented as a toner cartridge 12 shown in Fig. 3. In another example, printing material cartridge 12 is implemented as an ink cartridge 12 shown in Fig. 4.

[0024] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating one example of an authorization process 100 for a printing material cartridge such as a cartridge 12 shown in Figs. 1 -4. The parts numbers from Figs. 1 -4 are used in the following description of authorization process 100. Authorization process 100 may be implemented, for example, by processor 31 executing authorization instructions 30 on a printer controller 16. An authorization process 100 does not exclude other authorization and/or authentication processes executing on controller 16, and process 100 in Fig. 5 may itself be part of an authentication process that includes other elements, routines and/or sub-routines.

[0025] Referring to Fig. 5, when a printing material cartridge 12 is installed in a printer 10, printer controller 16 reads the address 24 of cartridge memory 32 for a printer ID prompt (block 102). If printer controller 16 reads a prompt 23, then controller 16 reads the address 26 of the cartridge memory 32 for a printer ID (block 104). If printer controller 16 does not read a prompt 23 at block 102, then authorization process 100 ends. If printer controller 16 reads a printer ID 27 at block 104, then printer controller 16 compares the printer ID 27 from cartridge memory 32 to a printer ID for printer 10 to determine whether or not printer 10 is permitted to use cartridge 12 (block 106).

[0026] The printer ID for printer 10 may be stored at controller 16 or at a remote address accessible to controller 16. The printer ID for printer 10 may identify a single printer permitted to use cartridge 12 or a group of printers permitted to use cartridge 12. If the IDs match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 can use cartridge (block 108). If the IDs do not match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 cannot use cartridge 12 (block 1 10). Also, if the IDs do not match, the printer may display a message to the user indicating the cartridge is not authorized for use with this printer.

[0027] If printer controller 16 does not read a printer ID 27 at block 104, then printer controller 16 writes a printer ID 27 for printer 10 to cartridge memory 32 (block 1 12) and determines that printer 10 can use cartridge 12.

[0028] Fig. 6 illustrates another example of an authorization process 200 in which the printer includes settings to enable cartridge authorization. Fig. 7 illustrates a printer controller 16 with an authorization setting 50, an authorization mode 52, and instructions 30 to execute authorization process 200 in Fig. 6.

[0029] Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, when a printing material cartridge 12 is installed in printer 10, printer controller 16 reads cartridge authorization setting 50 (block 202 in Fig. 6). If authorization setting 50 is not enabled 54, then

authorization process 200 ends. If authorization setting 50 is enabled 56, then printer controller 16 reads (1 ) cartridge authorization mode 52 to determine the mode of printer ID as a single printer ID 58 or a fleet ID 60 (block 204 in Fig. 6) and (2) the address 26 of cartridge memory 32 for a printer ID (block 206 in Fig. 6).

[0030] If printer controller 16 reads a printer ID 27 at block 206, then printer controller 16 compares the printer ID 27 from cartridge memory 32 to printer ID 58 or fleet ID 60 (depending on the setting of mode 52) to determine whether or not printer 10 is permitted to use cartridge 12 (block 208 in Fig. 6). If the IDs match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 can use cartridge (block 210 in Fig. 6) and authorization process 200 ends. If the IDs do not match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 cannot use cartridge 12 (block 212 in Fig. 6) and authorization process 200 ends. If printer controller 16 does not read a printer ID 27 at block 206, then printer controller 16 writes a single printer ID or a fleet ID for printer 10 to cartridge memory 32 (depending on the setting of mode 52) and determines that printer 10 can use cartridge 12 (block 214 in Fig. 6). [0031] Figs. 8A and 8B are a flow diagram illustrating another example of a cartridge authorization process 300 that combines elements of processes 100 and 200 in Figs. 5 and 6. Referring to Figs. 8A and 8B, when a printing material cartridge 12 is installed in a printer 10, printer controller 16 reads the address 24 of cartridge memory 32 for a printer ID prompt (block 302). If printer controller 16 reads a prompt 23, then printer controller 16 reads (1 ) cartridge authorization mode 52 to determine the mode of printer ID as a single printer ID 58 or a fleet ID 60 (block 304) and (2) the address 26 of the cartridge memory 32 for a printer ID (block 306). If printer controller 16 does not read a prompt 23 at block 302, then the authorization process proceeds to block 316 to determine whether or not authorization setting 50 is enabled on printer controller 16.

[0032] If printer controller 16 reads a printer ID 27 at block 306, then controller 16 compares the printer ID 27 from cartridge memory 32 to printer ID 58 or fleet ID 60 (depending on the setting of mode 52) to determine whether or not printer 10 is permitted to use cartridge 12 (block 308). If the IDs match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 can use cartridge (block 310) and authorization process 300 ends. If the IDs do not match, then printer controller 16 determines that printer 10 cannot use cartridge 12 (block 312) and authorization process 300 ends.

[0033] If printer controller 16 does not read a printer ID 27 at block 304, then printer controller 16 writes a single printer ID or a fleet ID for printer 10 to cartridge memory 32 (depending on the setting of mode 52) and determines that printer 10 can use cartridge 12 (block 314) and the authorization process ends.

[0034] If printer controller 16 does not read a prompt 23 at block 302, then the authorization process proceeds to block 316 to determine whether or not authorization setting 50 is enabled on printer controller 16. At block 316, printer controller 16 reads cartridge authorization setting 50. If authorization setting 50 is not enabled 54, then authorization process 300 ends. If authorization setting 50 is enabled 56, then printer controller 16 continues executing process 300 at block 304 as described above (block 318).

[0035] Fig. 9 illustrates a printing material cartridge 12 with no ID prompt and with a fleet ID value 27 written to printer ID memory address 26, for example at block 214 in Fig. 6. Although it is expected that a fleet ID 27 usually will be implemented as a single identifier identifying a corresponding fleet of printers, fleet ID 27 may also be implemented as multiple single identifiers each identifying a corresponding fleet of printers.

[0036] Fig. 10 illustrates a printing material cartridge 12 with an ID prompt 23 and with a fleet ID value 27 written to printer ID memory address 26, for example at block 1 12 in Fig. 5 or block 314 in Fig. 8B.

[0037] As noted at the beginning of this Description, the examples shown in the figures and described above illustrate but do not limit the scope of the patent. Other examples are possible. Therefore, the foregoing description should not be construed to limit the scope of the patent, which is defined in the following Claims.

[0038] "A" and "an" as used in the Claims means one or more.