Encad, Inc.

Dan J Dull

Richard A Murray

David Allen Purcell

A printer ink cartridge includes a jet plate and memory storage element mounted different surfaces thereof. A connector circuit affixes to the jet plate and the memory storage element. The memory storage element stores information about ink expelled from the cartridge.

Printer ink cartridge

An ink jet printer with intelligent components includes an ink jet cartridge and a roll of print media, each of which incorporate memory elements. Environmental sensors such as temperature and humidity sensors may also be provided. Data from the memory elements and environmental sensors is used to optimize printer operations, and to provide additional information to printer operators.

Intelligent printer components and printing system

A printer ink cartridge includes a jet plate and a memory. The memory may store data related to the types of printers with which the ink jet cartridge can operate.

An ink jet printer cartridge includes a memory storage element mounted on a side surface thereof. The memory storage element stores information about ink expelled from the cartridge. The information is routed from the memory storage element to an external device, and the user may be warned when cartridge replacement is advisable.

Ink jet printer having ink use information stored in a memory mounted on

The present patent discloses a method and apparatus for improving communication between print drivers and a host computer. The disclosed method simplifies and standardizes the output data format of the host computer. The disclosed printer processing electronics are placed on a moving 'smart' printer carriage in close proximity with the print drivers. The simplification of the host computer output, and the positioning of processing electronics speeds up printing of documents and eliminates the need for substantial intermediate processing electronics between the host computer and the printer carriage.

Smart print carriage incorporating circuitry for processing data

A printer ink cartridge includes a rigid cartridge body containing ink, a plurality of ink orifices, a jet plate, a plurality of electrical conductors, a control and driver circuit and a memory storage element. The memory storage element is connected to the control and driver circuit to enable information to be retrieved and stored from the memory storage element. The memory storage element is capable of storing information regarding the printer ink cartridge and the ink stored within the cartridge selected, such as ink type, ink color, date of manufacture of the cartridge, data from a spectral analysis of the ink, initial amount of ink stored in the cartridge body, amount of ink delivered, and amount of ink remaining in the cartridge. The memory storage element can be an EEPROM or a flash memory. The control and driver circuit may also include a counter for counting the number of times the heating elements on the cartridge are energized. The approximate number of times the heating elements have been energized indicates the approximate number of drops of ink that have applied by the cartridge.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Dan J Dull