The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 28, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 26, 1996
Lisa A DeLouise, Rochester, NY (US);
Sophie V Vandebroek, Penfield, NY (US);
Joel A Kubby, Rochester, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
An ink status system for determining the status of a consumable supply of ink contained in an ink container. The ink status system includes a first conductor, disposed on a first wall of the ink container, being aligned with the first wall such that the consumable supply of ink contacts a decreasing portion of the first conductor during consumption thereof and an ink sensing circuit, coupled to the first conductor, generating a continuously variable ink level signal as a function of the decreasing portion of the first conductor being contacted by the consumable supply of ink during consumption thereof. The ink status system is used in a liquid ink printer to determine the amount of ink remaining in an ink tank or ink cartridge. A liquid ink printhead of the printer includes the necessary circuitry to generate a signal indicating the status of the ink which can include ink levels as well as ink types or colors.