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:
Nov. 14, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 24, 1999
Eric S Schuh, Portland, OR (US);
Corlene M Ankrum, Vancouver, WA (US);
Donald R Bloyer, Brush Prairie, WA (US);
Daniel R Dwyer, Battle Ground, WA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for indicating the condition of a printer is provided. In an inkjet printer having at least one pen that is mounted in a carriage that moves back and forth across the media, the printer status is determined by a controller in the printer which communicates with the pen. The carriage containing the pens is used as a pointer and has is set to a desired carriage position to point to a selected icon from a set of icons located on a top surface adjacent to the carriage. Each of the icons indicates a printer status such as low ink level or a pen problem. The carriage and the set of icons may be located under a lid. When the user lifts the lid such as in response to a print cartridge status light that is illuminated on the control panel, the carriage is set to the desired carriage position to indicate the appropriate printer status. The icons are chosen in such a manner as to be universally understandable and with no need for localization to a particular market.