Consumable chip, consumable, image forming apparatus, and communication method and detection method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a consumable chip, a consumable, an image forming device, and a communication method and a detection method thereof. The consumable chip comprises a first connection terminal configured to connect a first connection pin when the consumable is installed in the image forming device; a second connection terminal configured to connect a second connection pin when the consumable is installed in the image forming device; a power supply circuit configured to convert a first input signal and a second input signal received through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal into a direct current voltage and supply power to a microcontroller; a demodulation circuit configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulation signal; and a modulation circuit configured to send a modulation signal to an image forming control unit through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal. In the application, only two electrical contact points are required on the consumable chip, the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip is reduced, and thus the reliability of the contact can be improved and the area of the consumable chip can be reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of image forming, in particular to a consumable chip, a consumable, an image forming device and a communication method and a detection method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of imaging technology, image forming devices such as laser printing devices and inkjet printing devices have been widely used. A consumable chip is usually installed on the image forming device, and an image forming control unit in the image forming device needs to communicate with the consumable chip during the imaging process. For example, the image forming control unit needs to obtain imaging auxiliary information in the consumable chip to complete the imaging process. The imaging auxiliary information is used for identity recognition of the consumable chip, providing recording material usage status, etc.

[0003] In the prior art, the image forming control unit usually communicates with the consumable chip through a 4-wire I2C interface. Therefore, 4 electrical contact points (corresponding to the 4 wires of the I2C interface) need to be provided on the consumable chip, and the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip is relatively large. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present application provides a consumable chip, a consumable, an image forming device and a communication method and a detection method thereof, so as to solve the problem of a large number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a consumable chip, which can be installed on a consumable, the consumable can be detachably installed on an image forming device, the image forming device includes an image forming control unit, the image forming device is provided with a power supply pin, a ground pin, and a first connection pin and a second connection pin different from the power supply pin and the ground pin, and the consumable chip includes: a substrate, the substrate is provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, and an electronic module electrically connected with the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, the electronic module includes a power supply circuit, a demodulation circuit, a modulation circuit, and a microcontroller;

[0006] The first connection terminal is used to connect the first connection pin when the consumable is installed on the image forming device;

[0007] The second connection terminal is used to connect the second connection pin when the consumable is installed on the image forming device;

[0008] The power supply circuit is used to convert a first input signal and a second input signal received through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal into a direct current voltage, and supply power to the microcontroller;

[0009] The demodulation circuit is configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulation signal.

[0010] The modulation circuit is configured to send a modulation signal to the image forming control unit through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.

[0011] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a consumable, comprising: a shell; a developer accommodating portion located in the shell and configured to accommodate a developer; and the consumable chip according to any one of the first aspect.

[0012] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a consumable, comprising: a photosensitive drum; a charging roller configured to charge the photosensitive drum; and the consumable chip according to any one of the first aspect.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming control unit; and the consumable chip according to any one of the first aspect.

[0014] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, the method being applied to a consumable chip, the consumable chip being installed in a consumable, the consumable being installed on an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising an image forming control unit, and the method comprising:

[0015] receiving a first input signal and a second input signal determined based on first to-be-transferred information and sent by the image forming control unit through a first connection terminal and a second connection terminal, wherein the consumable chip comprises a substrate, the substrate being provided with the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, the first connection terminal being connected with a first connection pin on the image forming apparatus, the first connection pin being different from a power pin and a ground pin, and the second connection terminal being connected with a second connection pin on the image forming apparatus, the second connection pin being different from the power pin and the ground pin;

[0016] demodulating the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulation signal;

[0017] determining the first to-be-transferred information sent by the image forming control unit according to the demodulation signal.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present application, the consumable chip is connected with the first connection pin and the second connection pin in the image forming control unit through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, that is, the consumable chip communicates with the image forming control unit through two signal lines, only two electrical contact points need to be arranged on the consumable chip, the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip is reduced, and then the reliability of the contact can be improved and the area of the consumable chip can be reduced. In addition, the first connection pin and the second connection pin in the image forming control unit are pins different from the power supply pin and the ground pin, that is, the two signal lines connecting the image forming device and the consumable chip are special signal lines. Compared with transmitting signals through the power supply line and the ground line (usually only the power supply line can be used to transmit modulation and demodulation signals, so that the transmission efficiency between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip is low and the power supply capacity is poor), the transmission speed is faster and the power supply capacity is good through the communication of the two special signal lines, and a consumable chip with larger power consumption can be used.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the two special signal lines can be used to transmit data signals and clock signals respectively. Through the cooperation of the data signals and the clock signals, the signals transmitted between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip can be more stable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0021] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an image forming device provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0022] Figure 2 A connection schematic diagram of an image forming control unit and a consumable chip provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0023] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0024] Figure 4A Another structural schematic of a power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0025] Figure 4B Another structural schematic of a power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0026] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0027] Figure 6 Another structure schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 6.

[0028] Figure 7 Another structure schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 6.

[0029] Figure 8 Another structure schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 6.

[0030] Figure 9 A circuit structure schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 7.

[0031] Figure 10 A circuit diagram of an electric parameter control unit provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 8.

[0032] Figure 11 A circuit diagram of an electric parameter control unit provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 8.

[0033] Figure 12 A communication method flowchart provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 9.

[0034] Figure 13 A communication method flowchart provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 9.

[0035] Figure 14 A waveform diagram of a data signal and a clock signal provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 10.

[0036] Figure 15 A waveform diagram of a data signal and a clock signal provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 10.

[0037] Figure 16 A connection circuit diagram of an image forming control unit and a consumable chip provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 11.

[0038] Figure 17 A communication method flowchart provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 9.

[0039] Figure 18 A structure schematic diagram of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] It should be clear that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0042] The terminology used in the embodiments of the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application. As used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used herein only describes an association relationship of associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1 , a structural block diagram of an image forming device is provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the image forming device includes an image forming control unit for controlling the whole image forming device. A consumable, which can be a developing cartridge, a drum cartridge, etc., is detachably installed on the image forming device. The consumable is installed with a consumable chip, and the consumable chip is in communication connection with the image forming control unit. In the imaging process, the image forming control unit needs to communicate with the consumable chip. For example, the image forming control unit needs to obtain imaging auxiliary information in the consumable chip to complete the imaging process. The imaging auxiliary information is used for identity recognition of the consumable chip, providing recording material usage status, etc.

[0045] In the prior art, the image forming control unit usually communicates with the consumable chip through a 4-wire I2C interface. Therefore, 4 electrical contact points (corresponding to the 4 wires of the I2C interface) need to be provided on the consumable chip, and the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip is relatively large.

[0046] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a consumable chip, which can be in communication connection with the image forming control unit through two signal lines, so that only two electrical contact points need to be provided on the consumable chip, thereby reducing the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip. The following will be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings.

[0047] Referring to Figure 2 , a connection schematic diagram of an image forming control unit and a consumable chip is provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 2As shown, the image forming control unit includes a power supply pin PW+, a ground pin PW-, a first connection pin DH1 and a second connection pin DL1. The consumable chip includes a substrate, the substrate being provided with a first connection terminal DH, a second connection terminal DL, and an electronic module electrically connected with the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL. When the consumable is installed on the image forming device, the first connection terminal DH is connected with the first connection pin DH1, and the second connection terminal DL is connected with the second connection pin DL1. It should be noted that, Figure 2 The image forming control unit in the above embodiment is only an example, and in actual applications, the image forming control unit can also be provided with other input / output pins, which will not be described herein.

[0048] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 The electronic module in the consumable chip provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a power supply circuit, a demodulation circuit, a modulation circuit and a microcontroller.

[0049] The power supply circuit is electrically connected with the first connection terminal DH, the second connection terminal DL and the microcontroller, and is used to convert the first input signal and the second input signal received through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL into a direct current voltage to supply power to the microcontroller. That is, the first input signal and the second input signal in the signal line are used to supply power to the microcontroller. In some possible implementation manners, the first input signal is a data signal, and the second input signal is a clock signal.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a power supply circuit is provided in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3As shown, the power supply circuit includes a voltage stabilizing circuit, an energy storage element and a unidirectional conducting element. The voltage stabilizing circuit, the energy storage element and the unidirectional conducting element are connected in series in a loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, and the two ends of the energy storage element are respectively connected to the first power supply input terminal DVCC and the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller. Since the first input signal and the second input signal received by the power supply circuit through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL are unstable high-low level signals, the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is unstable. In order to provide a stable direct current voltage for the microcontroller, the voltage stabilizing circuit in the embodiment of the present application converts the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL into a stable direct current voltage to supply power to the microcontroller and charge the energy storage element. In addition, since the first input signal and the second input signal are unstable high-low level signals, the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL may be lower than the supply voltage of the microcontroller, or a reverse voltage may be formed between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL. In the embodiment of the present application, when the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is lower than the supply voltage of the microcontroller, the energy storage element can be used to supply power to the microcontroller to prevent the microcontroller from being powered off. In addition, the unidirectional conducting element controls the unidirectional conduction of the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL to avoid inputting a reverse voltage to the first power supply input terminal DVCC and the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller. The energy storage element can be, for example, a capacitor, a battery, an inductor, etc., which is not limited herein. The negative electrode of the unidirectional conducting element is connected to the second connection terminal DL.

[0051] Referring to Figure 4A Another structure of a power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply circuit includes a voltage stabilizing circuit, an energy storage element and a unidirectional conducting element. Figure 4A The power supply circuit and the microcontroller are connected in series, and the voltage stabilizing circuit, the energy storage element and the unidirectional conducting element are connected in series in a loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL. The two ends of the energy storage element are respectively connected to the first power supply input terminal DVCC and the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller. The first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL are connected to the first input signal and the second input signal of the power supply circuit. Figure 3The difference between the power supply circuit shown in the figure is that the microcontroller is provided with a stable direct current voltage by the battery. Specifically, the positive and negative poles of the battery are connected to the first power input terminal DVCC and the second power input terminal DGND of the microcontroller, respectively. In addition, in order to avoid the voltage output by the battery being reversely loaded to the first connection pin and the second connection pin of the image forming control unit, causing interference to the image forming control unit, the embodiment of the application further connects a unidirectional conduction element between the positive pole of the battery and the first connection terminal DH and between the negative pole of the battery and the second connection terminal DL, respectively, wherein the positive pole of the unidirectional conduction element between the positive pole of the battery and the first connection terminal DH is connected to the first connection terminal DH, and the negative pole of the unidirectional conduction element between the negative pole of the battery and the second connection terminal DL is connected to the second connection terminal DL. In some possible implementation manners, the unidirectional conduction element between the positive pole of the battery and the first connection terminal DH can also be replaced by an impedance circuit, such as Figure 4B The embodiment of the application does not make a specific limitation on this.

[0052] In some possible implementation manners, the unidirectional conduction element in the power supply circuit shown in the figure can also be omitted, which is not limited herein. Figure 3

[0053] In some possible implementation manners, when the unidirectional conduction element is not included in the power supply circuit, the battery is used to replace the voltage stabilizing circuit, the positive pole of the battery is connected to the first connection terminal DH, and the negative pole of the battery is connected to the second connection terminal, and of course, an impedance element can also be arranged between the negative pole of the battery and the second connection terminal, which is not limited herein.

[0054] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 The demodulation circuit provided by the embodiment of the application is used to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulation signal. The first input signal and the second input signal can be signals determined by the image forming control unit based on first to-be-transmitted information. The first to-be-transmitted information is information that needs to be sent by the image forming control unit to the consumable chip. After the demodulation circuit obtains the demodulation signal, the demodulation signal can be sent to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller can further obtain the information sent by the image forming control unit to the consumable chip, that is, the above-mentioned first to-be-transmitted information, according to the demodulation signal.

[0055] In a possible implementation manner, the demodulation circuit is used to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal into a digital signal, and the microcontroller determines the first to-be-transmitted information according to the digital signal.

[0056] ​In another possible implementation, the demodulation circuit is configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal respectively to obtain an electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal, for example, the electrical parameter is a voltage value corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal. The microcontroller can determine the first to-be-sent information according to the electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal. The following will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] Referring to Figure 5 A structural diagram of a consumable chip is provided for an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present application, the demodulation circuit includes a reference voltage generation unit and a comparison circuit unit. The reference voltage generation unit is configured to generate a plurality of first reference voltages and a plurality of second reference voltages, where the plurality refers to two or more. The comparison circuit unit is configured to compare the first input signal with the plurality of first reference voltages respectively to obtain a plurality of first comparison results, and / or to compare the second input signal with the plurality of second reference voltages respectively to obtain a plurality of second comparison results, the plurality of first comparison results being used to determine an electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal, and the plurality of second comparison results being used to determine an electrical parameter corresponding to the second input signal. For example, the reference voltage generation unit generates N first reference voltages, specifically: first reference voltage 1, first reference voltage 2, …, first reference voltage N-1, first reference voltage N, the N first reference voltages increasing in turn. The first input signal is compared with the N first reference voltages respectively to obtain a comparison result of the first input signal and each first reference voltage, i.e. a first comparison result. If the first input signal is greater than the first reference voltage k (where 1≤k<N) and less than the first reference voltage k+1, it can be determined that the voltage value of the first input signal is between the first reference voltage k and the first reference voltage k+1, and further the voltage value of the first input signal can be determined, i.e. the electrical parameter of the first input signal is determined. Similarly, the electrical parameter corresponding to the second input signal can be determined according to the plurality of second comparison results, which will not be described here in the embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Referring to Figure 6 A structural diagram of another consumable chip is provided for an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, Figure 6As shown in the embodiment of the present application, the comparison circuit unit includes a first comparison circuit unit and a second comparison circuit unit. The first input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal DH, the second input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generation unit, the first reference voltage output end is used to output the first reference voltage, and the output end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the input / output port of the microcontroller. The first input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second connection terminal DL, the second input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generation unit, the second reference voltage output end is used to output the second reference voltage, and the output end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the input / output port of the microcontroller. The working principle of the first comparison circuit unit and the second comparison circuit unit in the embodiment of the present application can be referred to Figure 5 The description of the comparison circuit unit in the embodiment is not repeated here for brevity of description.

[0059] In some possible implementations, when no unidirectional conduction element is arranged between the second connection terminal DL and the power supply circuit, the second connection terminal DL is directly connected to the power supply circuit or the second connection terminal DL is connected to the power supply circuit through an impedance element, and the consumable chip is connected to the image forming control unit of the image forming device through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, and is not connected to the GND terminal of the image forming control unit. At this time Figure 5 The demodulation circuit shown is connected to the first connection terminal DH only, and does not need to be connected to the second connection terminal DL. Correspondingly, Figure 6 The first comparison circuit and the second comparison circuit described in the embodiment are connected to the first connection terminal DH only, and do not need to be connected to the second connection terminal. At this time, when the consumable chip receives the first input signal and the second input signal through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, the superimposed signal formed by the first input signal and the second input signal is obtained on the first connection terminal DH. Based on the structure of the consumable chip, how to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal is further introduced. It should be noted that the first input signal and the second input signal have different pulse widths.

[0060] Specifically, the microcontroller includes a timing unit, the demodulation circuit includes a reference voltage generation unit for generating a plurality of first reference voltages and a plurality of second reference voltages, the comparison unit is used to compare the superimposed signal with the plurality of first reference voltages to obtain a plurality of first comparison results, and / or is used to compare the superimposed signal with the plurality of second reference voltages to obtain a plurality of second comparison results, and the timing unit is used to measure the time width of the first comparison result to obtain a plurality of measurement results.

[0061] The first comparison results, the second comparison results and the measurement results are combined to determine the electrical parameters corresponding to the first input signal and the electrical parameters corresponding to the second input signal. For example, the reference voltage generating unit generates N first reference voltages, specifically, first reference voltage 1, first reference voltage 2, …, first reference voltage N-1, and first reference voltage N, and the N first reference voltages are sequentially increased. The reference voltage generating unit generates N second reference voltages, specifically, second reference voltage 1, second reference voltage 2, …, second reference voltage N-1, and second reference voltage N, and the N second reference voltages are sequentially increased. The comparison results of the superimposed signal and each first reference voltage, i.e., the first comparison results, are obtained by comparing the superimposed signal with the N first reference voltages. Further, the comparison results of the superimposed signal and each second reference voltage, i.e., the second comparison results, are obtained by comparing the superimposed signal with the N second reference voltages. The timing unit included in the microcontroller can measure the time width of the first comparison results to obtain the measurement results. When the measurement results are greater than a preset threshold, it is determined that the first comparison results correspond to the first input signal input by the first connection terminal. When the measurement results are less than or equal to the threshold, it is determined that the first comparison results correspond to the second input signal input by the second connection terminal. Further, according to the above method, if the first input signal is greater than the first reference voltage k (1≤k<N) and less than the first reference voltage k+1, it can be determined that the voltage value of the first input signal is between the first reference voltage k and the first reference voltage k+1, and the voltage value of the first input signal, i.e., the electrical parameter of the first input signal, can be determined. Similarly, the electrical parameters corresponding to the second input signal can be determined according to the second comparison results, which will not be described here. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the superimposed signal obtained on the first connection terminal DH. Figure 15

[0062] Further, the comparison circuit unit includes a first comparison circuit unit and a second comparison circuit unit. The first input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal DH, the second input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the first reference voltage output end is used to output the first reference voltage, and the output end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller. The first input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal DH, the second input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the second reference voltage output end is used to output the second reference voltage, and the output end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller. The working principles of the first comparison circuit unit and the second comparison circuit unit in the present application embodiment can be referred to the description of the comparison circuit unit in the foregoing described embodiments, which will not be described here for the sake of brevity. ​

[0063] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 The modulation circuit provided in the embodiments of the present application is configured to send a modulation signal to the image forming control unit through the first connection terminal DH and / or the second connection terminal DL. The modulation signal is a modulation signal obtained by modulating second to-be-transmitted information by the modulation circuit. The second to-be-transmitted information is information that the consumable chip needs to send to the image forming control unit. After the image forming control unit receives the modulation signal based on the first connection pin DH1 and / or the second connection pin DL1, the image forming control unit can demodulate the modulation signal to obtain the second to-be-transmitted information.

[0064] See Figure 7 Another structure diagram of a consumable chip is provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 7 In the embodiments of the present application, the modulation circuit includes an electrical parameter control unit. When the consumable is installed in the image forming device, the electrical parameter control unit is configured to control an electrical parameter of a current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip. That is, in the embodiments of the present application, the modulation signal is an electrical parameter of a current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip, which can be a current value, a voltage value, a resistance value, etc., which is not limited here.

[0065] See Figure 8 Another structure diagram of a consumable chip is provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 8 In the embodiments of the present application, the electrical parameter control unit includes an electrical parameter setting unit and a switch circuit. The electrical parameter setting unit is specifically configured to set the electrical parameter of the current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip when the consumable is installed in the image forming device. The switch circuit is specifically configured to enable the electrical parameter setting unit when the switch circuit is turned on, and not to enable the electrical parameter setting unit when the switch circuit is turned off. It can be understood that the electrical parameter setting unit needs to modulate the second to-be-transmitted information to set the electrical parameter of the current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip only when the consumable chip needs to send the second to-be-transmitted information to the image forming control unit. Therefore, when the consumable chip needs to send the second to-be-transmitted information to the image forming control unit, the switch circuit is controlled to be turned on to enable the electrical parameter setting unit; when the consumable chip does not need to send the second to-be-transmitted information to the image forming control unit (for example, the consumable chip only needs to receive the first to-be-transmitted information sent by the image forming control unit), the switch circuit is controlled to be turned off, and the electrical parameter setting unit is not enabled.

[0066] In the embodiment of the present application, the consumable chip is connected with the first connection pin DH1 and the second connection pin DL1 in the image forming control unit through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, that is, the consumable chip communicates with the image forming control unit through two signal lines, only two electrical contact points need to be arranged on the consumable chip, the number of electrical contact points on the consumable chip is reduced, and then the reliability of the contact can be improved and the area of the consumable chip can be reduced. In addition, the first connection pin DH1 and the second connection pin DL1 in the image forming control unit are pins different from the power supply pin PW+ and the ground pin PW-, that is, the two signal lines connecting the image forming device and the consumable chip are special signal lines. Compared with transmitting signals through the power supply line and the ground line (usually only the power supply line can be used to transmit modulation and demodulation signals, so that the transmission efficiency between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip is low and the power supply capacity is poor), the transmission speed is faster and the power supply capacity is good through the communication of the two special signal lines, and a consumable chip with larger power consumption can be used.

[0067] In some possible implementations, the two special signal lines can be used to transmit data signals and clock signals respectively, and through the cooperation of the data signals and the clock signals, the signals transmitted between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip can be more stable.

[0068] In order to facilitate understanding, the consumable chip provided by the embodiment of the present application is described below in combination with a specific circuit diagram.

[0069] Reference is made to Figure 9 , a circuit structure schematic diagram of a consumable chip provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9As shown, the unidirectional conducting element in the power supply circuit is a diode D1, the energy storage element is a first capacitor C1, and the voltage stabilizing circuit includes a first resistor R1, a second resistor R2, a first triode VT1, and a voltage stabilizing diode D2. The first connection terminal DH is connected to the collector of the first triode VT1 through the first resistor R1; the first connection terminal DH is connected to the base of the first triode VT1 through the second resistor R2; the emitter of the first triode VT1 is connected to the first power supply input terminal DVCC of the microcontroller, which is a power supply terminal; the base of the first triode VT1 is connected to the negative electrode of the voltage stabilizing diode D2, and the positive electrode of the voltage stabilizing diode D2 is connected to the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller, which is a ground terminal; the first end of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the first power supply input terminal DVCC, and the second end of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the second power supply input terminal DGND. The voltage stabilizing circuit composed of the first resistor R1, the second resistor R2, the first triode VT1, and the voltage stabilizing diode D2 is used to convert the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL into a stable direct current voltage, which is transmitted to the first power supply input terminal DVCC and the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller, and charges the first capacitor C1. The first capacitor C1 is used for filtering the power supply of the microcontroller, and when the voltage difference between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is lower than the power supply voltage of the microcontroller, the microcontroller can be powered by the first capacitor C1 to prevent the microcontroller from being powered off. The diode D1 is used to control the unidirectional conduction of the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, so as to avoid inputting reverse voltage to the first power supply input terminal DVCC and the second power supply input terminal DGND of the microcontroller when the voltage of the first connection terminal DH is lower than the voltage of the second connection terminal DL.

[0070] The demodulation circuit includes a reference voltage generating unit, a first comparator U1, and a second comparator U2. The first comparator U1 and the second comparator U2 are equivalent to Figure 6The first comparison circuit unit and the second comparison circuit unit in the embodiment shown. The positive input terminal of the first comparator U1 is connected to the first connection terminal DH, the negative input terminal of the first comparator U1 is connected to the first reference voltage output terminal of the reference voltage generation unit, the first reference voltage output terminal is used to output the first reference voltage, and the output terminal of the first comparator U1 is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller; the positive input terminal of the second comparator U2 is connected to the second connection terminal DL, the negative input terminal of the second comparator U2 is connected to the second reference voltage output terminal of the reference voltage generation unit, the second reference voltage output terminal is used to output the second reference voltage, and the output terminal of the second comparator U2 is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller. The first comparator U1 is used to compare the first input signal with a plurality of first reference voltage signals respectively to obtain a plurality of first comparison results, and transmit the plurality of first comparison results to the input and output port of the microcontroller, and the microcontroller can determine the electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal according to the plurality of first comparison results. The electrical parameter can be a voltage value. Similarly, the second comparator U2 is used to compare the second input signal with a plurality of second reference voltage signals respectively to obtain a plurality of second comparison results, and transmit the plurality of second comparison results to the input and output port of the microcontroller, and the microcontroller can determine the electrical parameter corresponding to the second input signal according to the plurality of second comparison results.

[0071] In a possible implementation, the first input signal is a data signal, and the second input signal is a clock signal. After setting appropriate reference voltages, the first comparator U1 and the second comparator U2 respectively demodulate the first input signal and the second data signal, output pulse signals that can be recognized by the microcontroller, and complete the extraction of the data signal and the clock signal.

[0072] In addition, the reference voltage generation unit further includes a third reference voltage output terminal Vref, and a second capacitor C2 is arranged between the third reference voltage output terminal Vref and the second power input terminal DGND of the microcontroller.

[0073] The modulation circuit includes an electrical parameter control unit, which is used to control the electrical parameter of the current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip when the consumable is installed in the image forming device. For example, the electrical parameter can be a current value or a resistance value, and the electrical parameter control unit can control the current of the current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip, so as to realize signal modulation of the second to-be-transferred information sent by the consumable chip.

[0074] In some possible embodiments, the first input signal and the second input signal can be Figure 9The circuit structure of the consumable chip shown is improved. Specifically, the unidirectional conductive element D1 between the second connection terminal DL and DGND can be removed, or replaced with an impedance element. The first connection terminal DH is then connected to the demodulation circuit. Specifically, the first connection terminal DH is connected to the positive terminals of the first comparator U1 and the second comparator U2, respectively. That is, when the consumable chip receives the first input signal and the second input signal through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL, the first connection terminal can obtain a superimposed signal of the first input signal and the second input signal.

[0075] See also Figure 10 , is a circuit diagram of an electrical parameter control unit provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 10As shown, the electrical parameter control unit includes an electrical parameter setting unit and a switching circuit. The switching circuit includes a switching device S1, and the electrical parameter setting unit includes a plurality of resistors RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4, RS5, RS6, a plurality of switching devices x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, x32 corresponding to the plurality of resistors, two transistors Q1 and Q2, and three resistors RE1, RE2, and R3. The first ends of the resistors RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4, RS5, and RS6 are connected to the first connection terminal DH through the switching device S1, the second ends of the resistors RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4, RS5, and RS6 are connected to the first ends of the switching devices x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, and x32, the second ends of the switching devices x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, and x32 are connected to the collector of the transistor Q1, the base of the transistor Q1 and the base of the transistor Q2 are connected to the second end of the resistor R3, the first end of the resistor R3 is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1, the emitter of the transistor Q1 is connected to the first end of the resistor RE1, the second end of the resistor RE1 is connected to the positive electrode of the diode D1, the negative electrode of the diode D1 is connected to the second connection terminal DL, the collector of the transistor Q2 is connected to the first ends of the resistors RS1, RS2, RS3, RS4, RS5, and RS6, the emitter of the transistor Q2 is connected to the first end of the resistor RE2, the second end of the resistor RE2 is connected to the positive electrode of the diode D1, and the second end of the resistor RE2 is grounded. By using this connection mode, the current in the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL can be controlled by controlling the switching state of the switching devices x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, and x32. For example, when the switching device x1 is closed and the other switching devices are open, the current in the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is 50 μA; when the switching device x2 is closed and the other switching devices are open, the current in the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is 100 μA; when the switching device x4 is closed and the other switching devices are open, the current in the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL is 200 μA; and so on. Each switching device corresponds to a loop current value, and the size of the loop current value corresponding to each switching device is related to the size of the resistor in series with the switching device, which can be adjusted according to requirements by those skilled in the art. In addition, more loop current values can be selected by combining multiple switches. For example, the switching devices x1 and x2 are closed and the other switching devices are open; or the switching devices x2, x4, and x32 are closed and the other switching devices are open; and so on. For example, the resistance values in the loop between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL can also be 50 ohms, 100 ohms, 200 ohms, and so on by similar methods, which are not limited herein.

[0076] In addition, the switch device S1 is used to control the enabling state of the electrical parameter setting unit. It can be understood that when the switch device S1 is closed, the electrical parameter setting unit is enabled; when the switch device S1 is open, the electrical parameter setting unit is disabled.

[0077] See also Figure 11 , is a circuit diagram of another electrical parameter control unit provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 11 As shown, the electrical parameter control unit includes an electrical parameter setting unit and a switching circuit. The switching circuit includes a switch device S1, and the electrical parameter setting unit includes a resistor R4, an operational amplifier U3, a capacitor C3, a resistor RE3, and a resistor RE4. The positive input of the operational amplifier U3 is connected to the second end of the resistor R4, the negative input of the operational amplifier U3 is connected to the first end of the resistor RE3, the second end of the resistor RE3 is connected to the anode of the diode D1, and the cathode of the diode D1 is connected to the second connection terminal DL. The output of the operational amplifier U3 is connected to the first connection terminal DH via the switch device S1. The first end of the resistor RE4 is connected to the first end of the resistor RE3, and the second end of the resistor RE4 is connected to the output of the operational amplifier U3. The first end of the resistor R4 is used to input a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. This connection allows the electrical parameter setting unit to control the current in the circuit between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL. The parameter settings of the resistors RE3 and RE4 depend on the voltage amplitude of the PWM signal and the voltage ratio between the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL.

[0078] In addition, the switch device S1 is used to control the enabling state of the electrical parameter setting unit. It can be understood that when the switch device S1 is closed, the electrical parameter setting unit is enabled; when the switch device S1 is open, the electrical parameter setting unit is disabled.

[0079] It should be pointed out that Figure 10 and Figure 11 This is only an exemplary description of the electrical parameter control unit in the embodiment of the present application. Those skilled in the art can also implement loop current control through other circuits, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0080] Please continue reading Figure 9The microcontroller provided by the embodiment of the application comprises a power module, a synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), a FLASH, a central processing unit (CPU) and a GPIO. The power module comprises a first power input terminal DVCC port and a second power input terminal DGND port, which are used to receive power input by a power circuit and supply power to the microprocessor. The GPIO is used to realize information interaction of the microprocessor, for example, receiving a demodulation signal output by a demodulation circuit. The CPU, the FLASH and the SDRAM are used to realize a data processing function.

[0081] Corresponding to the above embodiment, the embodiment of the application further provides a communication method.

[0082] Referring to Figure 12 A flowchart of a communication method provided by the embodiment of the application is shown. The method is applied to the image forming control unit and the consumable chip shown in the above embodiment. The consumable chip comprises a substrate, and the substrate is provided with a first connection terminal and a second connection terminal. The first connection terminal is connected with a first connection pin of the image forming control unit, and the second connection terminal is connected with a second connection pin of the image forming control unit. As shown in the figure, the method mainly comprises the following steps. Figure 12

[0083] Step S1201: The image forming control unit sends a first input signal and a second input signal to the consumable chip.

[0084] If the image forming control unit needs to send first to-be-transferred information to the consumable chip, the first to-be-transferred information can be modulated into the first input signal and the second input signal, and the first input signal and the second input signal are sent to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the consumable chip through the first connection pin and the second connection pin respectively. The consumable chip can receive the first input signal and the second input signal through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.

[0085] Step S1202: The consumable chip demodulates the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulation signal.

[0086] ​After receiving the first input signal and the second input signal, the consumable chip can demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulated signal. Specifically, the consumable chip can demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a digital signal corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal, respectively; or, the consumable chip can demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain an electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal, respectively.

[0087] Step S1203: The consumable chip determines the first to-be-transferred information sent by the image forming control unit according to the demodulated signal.

[0088] For example, the first input signal is a data signal, and the second input signal is a clock signal. The consumable chip can determine the first to-be-transferred information sent by the image forming control unit according to the data signal and the clock signal. At this point, the first to-be-transferred information is sent from the image forming control unit to the consumable chip.

[0089] It can be understood that, in the communication method shown in Figure 12 In actual applications, the consumable chip also needs to send information to the image forming control unit, that is, the consumable chip is the sending end, and the image forming control unit is the receiving end. For this application scenario, another communication method is further provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0090] Referring to Figure 13 Another communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is shown in a flowchart. The method is applied to an image forming control unit and a consumable chip, wherein the consumable chip is the sending end, and the image forming control unit is the receiving end. As shown in Figure 13 The method mainly includes the following steps.

[0091] Step S1301: The consumable chip determines second to-be-transferred information to be transferred to the image forming control unit.

[0092] In actual applications, the second to-be-transferred information can be identity authentication information of the consumable chip or consumable remaining amount information, etc.

[0093] Step S1302: The consumable chip controls an electrical parameter of a current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip based on the second to-be-transferred information.

[0094] After determining the second to-be-transferred information, the consumable chip can modulate the second to-be-transferred information, that is, control the electrical parameter of the current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip.

[0095] Step S1303: The image forming control unit acquires the electrical parameter of the current loop.

[0096] The image forming control unit collects the electrical parameters of the backflow circuit, and then demodulates the second to-be-transferred information according to the electrical parameters of the backflow circuit. At this time, the second to-be-transferred information is sent from the consumable chip to the image forming control unit.

[0097] The working principle of the consumable chip for demodulating the first input signal and the second input signal and modulating the second to-be-transferred information can be known from the description of the consumable chip embodiments, and will not be described here again for the sake of brevity.

[0098] The communication principle between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip will be described below.

[0099] When the one-way conduction element is arranged between the second connection terminal DL and the power supply circuit, and the structure of the consumable chip is as shown in Figure 9 , the waveform diagram of a data signal and a clock signal provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in Figure 14 . The DH refers to a DH signal line, which is connected with the first connection pin of the image forming device and the first connection terminal of the consumable chip respectively. The DL refers to a DL signal line, which is connected with the second connection pin of the image forming device and the second connection terminal of the consumable chip respectively. The DH high level signal / low level signal refers to the high level signal / low level signal with a voltage amplitude of V1 in the DH signal line. The DL high level signal / low level signal refers to the high level signal / low level signal with a voltage amplitude of V2 in the DL signal line.

[0100] Taking the circuit diagram as shown in Figure 9 , during the communication process, the DH high level signal / low level signal is input to the positive input terminal of the first comparator U1, the reference voltage generation unit outputs the first reference voltage signal which is 1 / 2V1 lower than the DH high level signal, and then the first comparator U1 can output the high / low level signal with a voltage amplitude between DVCC and DGND, and then the high / low level signal is sent to the input / output port of the microcontroller for reading. The DL high level signal / low level signal is input to the positive input terminal of the second comparator U2, the reference voltage generation unit outputs the second reference voltage signal which is 1 / 2V2 higher than the DH low level signal, and then the second comparator U2 can output the high / low level signal with a voltage amplitude between DVCC and DGND, and then the high / low level signal is sent to the input / output port of the microcontroller for reading.

[0101] Because there are two cases of host sending signal and slave responding (the data sending end is the host and the data receiving end is the slave) for the DH signal line, there is a process of control right transfer. The specific method is as follows: the DH signal line adopts a resistance pull-up mode, and only when the data sending end wants to make the DH signal line low, the control right is obtained, at this time, the DH signal line is in a low resistance state to make the DH signal line appear a low voltage amplitude of V1, and at other times, the control right of the signal line is released.

[0102] In the embodiment of the application, the DH signal line is used to transmit data signals, specifically including Start signals, DATA signals, ACK signals and Stop signals; and the DL signal line is used to transmit clock signals, namely CLK signals. The following will be described respectively.

[0103] Start signal and Stop signal transmission:

[0104] When the DL signal line is high, the DH signal line generates a level change from high to low, and then the Start signal is established.

[0105] When the DL signal line is high, the DH signal line generates a level change from low to high, and then the Stop signal is established.

[0106] Generally, the communication protocol can be specified that the Start signal starts communication, and the communication ends with the Stop signal, which is a complete communication frame. If the communication starts, and the Start signal appears again without ending the communication, the frame communication starts with the new Start signal, and the previous communication process is invalid.

[0107] DATA signal transmission:

[0108] In the communication process, data is transmitted in units of bits, and one bit of data is sent and read in one CLK signal period.

[0109] Sending data: during the falling edge and low level period of the DL signal, the sending end takes over the level control of the DH signal line. At this time, 1 is sent to make the DH signal line high, and 0 is sent to make the DH signal line low.

[0110] Reading data: during the rising edge and high level period of the DL signal, the DH signal is read. At this time, the DH high level signal is data 1, and the DH low level signal is data 0.

[0111] Among them, the host and the slave can read data and send data.

[0112] ACK signal transmission:

[0113] The ACK signal refers to a communication response signal.

[0114] The communication protocol can stipulate that when the data sending end completes transmission of a certain number of bits according to the communication protocol, the data receiving end sends a bit of data 0 to indicate that the current certain number of bits has been received and the next number of bits can be sent. If the receiving end does not respond to the data 0, it indicates that the receiving end is no longer responsive to the sending end.

[0115] In a possible implementation, when no unidirectional conduction element is arranged between the second connection terminal DL and the power supply circuit, the superimposed signal corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal can be obtained on the first connection terminal DH, as shown in Figure 15

[0116] Further, according to the protocol requirements, the DH signal line is used to transmit Start, DATA, ACK and Stop signals respectively, and the DL signal line is used to transmit CLK signals. The minimum value of the pulse width corresponding to the DATA signal is at least 2 times the maximum value of the pulse width corresponding to the CLK signal. According to the foregoing description, the signals transmitted through the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL can obtain the superimposed signal corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal on the first connection terminal DH.

[0117] Transmission of Start and Stop signals:

[0118] When DH is low, DL generates a low level that meets the duration, and then the Start signal is established.

[0119] When DH is low, DL generates two low levels that meet the duration, and then the Stop signal is established.

[0120] Generally, the communication protocol can stipulate that the Start signal starts communication, and the communication ends with the Stop signal, which is a complete communication frame. If the Start signal appears again when the communication starts without ending, the frame communication starts with the new Start signal, and the previous communication process is invalid.

[0121] Transmission of DATA signal:

[0122] In the communication process, data is transmitted in units of bits, and one CLK period completes the sending and reading of one bit of data.

[0123] Sending data: during the falling edge and low level of DL, the sending end takes over the level control of DH. At this time, sending 1 makes DH high, and sending 0 makes DH low.

[0124] Reading data: during the rising edge and high level of DL, DH is read. At this time, DH high level is data 1, and DH low level is data 0.

[0125] ​Both the host and the slave can read data and send data.

[0126] Transmission of the ACK signal:

[0127] The ACK signal refers to a communication response signal.

[0128] The communication protocol can provide that, after the sending end completes transmission of a certain number of bits according to the communication protocol, the stage end sends a bit of data 0 to indicate that the current certain number of bits has been received and completed, and the next certain number of bits of data can be continuously sent. If the receiving end does not respond to the data 0, it means that the receiving end is no longer responsive to the sending end.

[0129] It should be noted that the above communication protocol is only an exemplary description, and the consumable chip and the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applicable to different communication protocols, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations thereto.

[0130] In actual application, when the consumable chip is installed on the image forming device, a connector can be used, that is, the first connection pin and the first connection terminal are connected through the connector, and the second connection pin and the second connection terminal are connected through the connector. However, the connector can have a contact resistance, and the resistance value of the contact resistance can change with the change of the working condition. When the resistance value of the contact resistance increases to exceed the set range, it will affect the communication and reduce the reliability of the communication.

[0131] Referring to Figure 16 A connection circuit diagram of an image forming control unit and a consumable chip is provided in the embodiments of the present application. In the image forming control unit, pins PW+, ADC, GPIO1, GPIO2 and GPIO3 are shown, wherein the pin ADC is connected to the pin PW+ through a resistor R5, the pin ADC is connected to the pin GPIO1 through a resistor R6, the pin GPIO3 is connected to the pin GPIO2 through a resistor R7, and the pin GPIO3 is grounded through a resistor R8. The connection relationship and working principle of the devices and functional units in the consumable chip can be referred to the description of the above embodiments, and will not be described here for brevity.

[0132] Among them, the pin PW+ is a power supply pin of the image forming control unit, the pin ADC is the first connection pin of the image forming control unit described in the above embodiments, and the pin GPIO3 is the second connection pin of the image forming control unit described in the above embodiments. The pin ADC and the pin GPIO3 are connected to the first connection terminal DH and the second connection terminal DL of the consumable chip through a connector, a contact resistance RT1 is formed between the pin ADC and the first connection terminal DH, and a contact resistance RT2 is formed between the pin GPIO3 and the second connection terminal DL. The contact resistance RT1 and the contact resistance RT2 are the contact resistance of the connector.

[0133] To ensure that the contact resistance is within a set range and thus guarantee communication reliability, some possible implementations require contact resistance testing. Depending on the communication protocol, contact resistance testing can occur while the image formation control unit is powering up the consumable chip, or before, during, or after the image formation control unit communicates with the consumable chip. This is not a limitation in the present embodiment.

[0134] In some possible implementations, a first electrical parameter of a current loop formed between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit can be set, and whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good can be determined based on the first electrical parameter. Specifically, a second electrical parameter of the current loop formed between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit, which is different from the first electrical parameter, can be determined based on the first electrical parameter, and whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good can be determined based on the second electrical parameter combined with a first preset range.

[0135] In some possible implementations, the first electrical parameter may be a current value, the second electrical parameter may be a resistance value, and the first preset range is a preset resistance value range. Figure 16 In the implementation shown, the current value in the current loop, i.e., the first electrical parameter, can be set by the electrical parameter control unit in the current loop. In addition, the voltage value in the current loop can be determined according to the voltage output by the pin PW+, and then the resistance value in the current loop (the total resistance in the current loop) can be determined according to the voltage value in the current loop and the current value in the current loop. Since the resistance values ​​of the other resistors in the current loop are all known except the contact resistance RT1+RT2, the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 can be determined, i.e., the second electrical parameter. In order to determine whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good, the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 can be compared with the preset resistance value range. If the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 exceeds the preset resistance value range, it is determined that the contact resistance is too large and may affect the communication. At this time, an error message can be given to remind the user. That is, when it is determined that the second electrical parameter is not within the first preset range, the second electrical parameter can be combined with the first preset range to determine the error message. On the contrary, if the second electrical parameter is within the first preset range, it is determined that the consumable chip and the image formation control unit can communicate normally.

[0136] In some possible implementation manners, a second preset range can also be set in the first preset range, and when the second electric parameter is within the second preset range, the speed of data transmission between the image forming apparatus and the consumable chip is reduced. Taking the contact resistance RT1+RT2 as an example again, the first preset range is set as a first preset resistance value range (0, r1), and the second preset range is set as a second preset resistance value range (r0, r1). When the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 is greater than or equal to r1, it indicates that the contact resistance RT1+RT2 is too large, which can affect the communication, and an error can be reported at this time. When the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 is greater than r0 and less than r1, the contact resistance RT1+RT2 can meet the communication requirement between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit, but cannot support a too high communication speed, and the data transmission speed between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit can be reduced at this time. When the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 is less than or equal to r0, the consumable chip and the image forming control unit can communicate normally.

[0137] In the embodiment of the present application, through detection of the contact resistance, the reliability of communication between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit can be ensured.

[0138] It should be noted that when the consumable chip and the image forming control unit are not connected by using the connector, the contact resistance can also exist between the first connection pin and the first connection terminal, and between the second connection pin and the second connection terminal, and the above contact state detection method is also applicable to this application scenario, and the embodiment of the present application does not make a specific limitation.

[0139] In some possible implementation manners, the above communication method and the contact state detection method can be combined to improve the reliability of communication between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit.

[0140] In some possible implementation manners, the first electric parameter can be a current value, the second electric parameter can be a resistance value, the first preset range is a preset resistance value range, Figure 16The second level D1 in the implementation shown can be omitted, that is, the resistance value of the connection between the first connection end DH and the second connection end DL is set by the electrical parameter setting unit, once the resistance value of the connection between DH and DL is known, the voltage value in the current loop can be determined according to the voltage output by the pin PW+, and then the resistance value (total resistance value in the current loop) in the current loop can be determined according to the voltage value in the current loop and the current value in the current loop. Since the resistance values of all resistances in the current loop except the contact resistance RT1+RT2 are known, the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2, that is, the second electrical parameter, can be determined. In order to determine whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit is good, the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 can be compared with a preset resistance value range, if the resistance value of the contact resistance RT1+RT2 exceeds the preset resistance value range, it is determined that the contact resistance is too large and may affect communication. At this time, an error can be reported to remind the user. See Figure 17 Another communication method flow diagram is provided for the embodiments of the present application. The method can be applied to the consumable chip described in the above embodiments, such as Figure 17 as shown, which mainly includes the following steps.

[0141] Step S1601: detecting the contact state between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit.

[0142] In specific implementation, the contact state detection method described in the above embodiments can be used to detect the contact state between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit. For details, see the description of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0143] Step S1602: determining whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit is good.

[0144] Specifically, whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit is good can be determined according to the contact state detection result in step S1601. If it is determined that the contact between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit is good, step S1603 is entered; otherwise, step S1604 is entered.

[0145] Step S1603: the consumable chip and the image forming control unit communicate normally.

[0146] In the embodiments of the present application, if it is determined that the contact between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit is good, the consumable chip and the image forming control unit can communicate. Specifically, the method described in any one of the embodiments of Figure 12 and Figure 13 will not be repeated here.

[0147] Step S1604: error reporting.

[0148] If it is determined that the consumable chip and the image forming control unit are not in good contact, the communication may be affected. At this time, an error can be reported to remind the user.

[0149] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication method and the contact state detection method are combined, which can improve the reliability of communication between the consumable chip and the image forming control unit.

[0150] Corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present application also provides a consumable, which includes a shell, a developer accommodating part located in the shell and used for accommodating a developer, and the consumable chip in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0151] In some possible implementation manners, the consumable further includes a developer conveying element used for conveying the developer.

[0152] In some possible implementation manners, the consumable further includes a photosensitive drum and a charging roller used for charging the photosensitive drum.

[0153] Corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present application also provides a consumable, which includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller used for charging the photosensitive drum, and the consumable chip in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0154] Corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present application also provides an image forming apparatus, which includes an image forming control unit and the consumable chip in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0155] The image forming apparatus related in the embodiments of the present application can be a laser printing apparatus, an inkjet printing apparatus, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific product form thereof. In order to facilitate understanding, the structure of an image forming apparatus is described below in combination with the drawings.

[0156] Referring to Figure 18 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus includes an image forming control unit 1 and a consumable 2. Figure 18As shown, as an example of an image forming device, the image forming part of the image forming device may include: a developer accommodating portion 11, a developing component 12, a developer conveying element 13, a photosensitive component 14, a transfer component 15 and a fixing assembly 5, etc. The paper to be printed moves in the paper feeding direction, and after successively undergoing the powder feeding operation of the developer conveying element 13 and the developing operation of the developing component 12, arrives at the clamping area between the photosensitive component 14 and the transfer component 15 for transfer, and then passes through the fixing assembly 5 for fixing to complete the image forming operation, wherein the developer accommodating portion 11 is used to accommodate the developer, which can be materials such as toner and carbon powder; the developing component 12 includes: a developing roller, etc.; the developer conveying element 13 includes: a powder feeding roller, etc.; the photosensitive component 14 includes: a photosensitive drum (OPC, Organic Photo Conductor) and a charging roller, etc., wherein the charging roller is used to charge the photosensitive drum.

[0157] Typically, an image forming device is detachably mounted with at least one consumable material. Figure 18 As an example of the image forming device shown in FIG. , the image forming device is detachably mounted with four consumables (respectively Figure 18 The consumables 1, 2, 3, and 4 shown are used to provide the image forming apparatus with four color developers (black K, cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y). Of course, in other embodiments, the number of consumables installed in the image forming apparatus can be increased or decreased, for example, to 5 or 6 or even more or less, etc., and this embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. This embodiment of the present application is mainly applicable to scenarios where the number of consumables installed in the image forming apparatus is greater than or equal to 2.

[0158] The consumable chip is specifically a circuit substrate mounted on the consumable, and the circuit substrate includes a storage device and a connection terminal connected to the storage device, and the connection terminal is used to connect to the connection pin on the image forming device side.

[0159] For the consumables with the consumable chip installed, one possible implementation is that the consumables may only include the developer containing portion 11 .

[0160] One possible implementation method is that the consumables are of a split structure, for example, the consumables (1, 2, 3 or 4) include a developer box and a drum box that can be detached from each other, wherein the developer box includes a shell, a developer accommodating portion 11, a developer component 12 and / or a developer conveying element 13; the drum box includes a photosensitive component 14, that is, a photosensitive drum and a charging roller.

[0161] The developer accommodating part 11 is located in the shell and is used for accommodating the developer, the developer conveying element 13 is used for conveying the developer to the developing part 12, and the developing part 12 is used for conveying the developer to the photosensitive drum, wherein the developer conveying element can be a powder feeding roller and can also be other components such as a powder pushing screw.

[0162] In an implementable manner, the consumable can be the aforementioned developing cartridge.

[0163] In an implementable manner, the consumable can be the aforementioned drum cartridge.

[0164] In an implementable manner, the consumable is of an integrated structure, for example, the consumable (1, 2, 3, or 4) includes the developer accommodating part 11, the developing part 12, the developer conveying element 13, and the photosensitive part 14.

[0165] It should be noted that the consumable mentioned in the embodiment can also be other components, parts, units, and the like in the image forming apparatus that need to be replaced due to damage, for example, a paper cartridge, and also belongs to the technical solution of the consumable protected by the present application.

[0166] In a specific implementation, the present application further provides a terminal, which includes one or more processors, a memory, and one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more computer programs are stored in the memory, and the one or more computer programs include instructions that, when executed by the terminal, cause the terminal to perform some or all of the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0167] In a specific implementation, the present application further provides a computer storage medium, which can store a program, and the program, when executed, can include some or all of the steps in the embodiments provided by the present application. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or the like.

[0168] In a specific implementation, the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes some or all of the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0169] In the embodiments of the present application, “at least one” means one or more, and “multiple” means two or more. “And / or” describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. Wherein A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally represents an “or” relationship between the front and rear associated objects. “At least one of the following” and the like means any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0170] Those skilled in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized by electronic hardware, computer software and combination of electronic hardware and computer software. Whether the functions are realized in hardware or software mode depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. The skilled person can use different methods to realize the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0171] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of the description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, device and unit can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0172] In several embodiments provided by the present application, any function realized in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application essentially or the parts that make contributions to the prior art or parts of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of the present application. The foregoing storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0173] The above description is merely specific embodiments of the present application, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A consumable chip, wherein the consumable chip can be mounted on a consumable, wherein the consumable can be detachably mounted on an image forming device, wherein the image forming device includes an image forming control unit, and wherein the image forming device is provided with a power pin, a ground pin, and a first connection pin and a second connection pin different from the power pin and the ground pin, wherein: The consumable chip includes: a substrate, on which a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, and an electronic module electrically connected to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are provided, wherein the electronic module includes a power supply circuit, a demodulation circuit, a modulation circuit, and a microcontroller; The first connecting terminal is used to connect to the first connecting pin when the consumable is installed in the image forming device; The second connecting terminal is used to connect to the second connecting pin when the consumable is installed in the image forming device; The power supply circuit is configured to convert the first input signal and the second input signal received through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal into a DC voltage to supply power to the microcontroller; The demodulation circuit is configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulated signal; The modulation circuit is configured to send a modulation signal to the image formation control unit through the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.

2. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The demodulation circuit is specifically configured to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal into digital signals.

3. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the consumable is installed in the image forming device, the demodulation circuit is specifically used to demodulate the first input signal and the second input signal respectively to obtain electrical parameters corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal.

4. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the consumables are installed in the image forming device, the demodulation circuit includes: A reference voltage generating unit, configured to generate a plurality of first reference voltages and a plurality of second reference voltage signals; A comparison circuit unit is used to compare the first input signal with the multiple first reference voltage signals to obtain multiple first comparison results, and / or to compare the second input signal with the multiple second reference voltage signals to obtain multiple second comparison results, wherein the multiple first comparison results are used to determine the electrical parameters corresponding to the first input signal, and the multiple second comparison results are used to determine the electrical parameters corresponding to the second input signal.

5. The consumable chip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The comparison circuit unit includes a first comparison circuit unit and a second comparison circuit unit, wherein the first input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal, the second input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the first reference voltage output end is used to output the first reference voltage, and the output end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller; The first input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second connection terminal, the second input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the second reference voltage output end is used to output the second reference voltage, and the output end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller.

6. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microcontroller includes a timing unit, and when the consumable is installed in the image forming device, the demodulation circuit includes: A reference voltage generating unit, configured to generate a plurality of first reference voltages and a plurality of second reference voltage signals; a comparison circuit unit, configured to compare the superimposed signal with a plurality of first reference voltages to obtain a plurality of first comparison results, and further configured to compare the superimposed signal with a plurality of second reference voltages to obtain a plurality of second comparison results; The microcontroller includes a timing unit, configured to measure the time widths of the plurality of first comparison results respectively to obtain a plurality of measurement results; The plurality of first comparison results, the plurality of second comparison results, and the plurality of measurement results are combined to determine the electrical parameter corresponding to the first input signal and the electrical parameter corresponding to the second input signal.

7. The consumable chip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The comparison circuit unit includes a first comparison circuit unit and a second comparison circuit unit, wherein the first input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal, the second input end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the first reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the first reference voltage output end is used to output the first reference voltage, and the output end of the first comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller; The first input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the first connection terminal, the second input end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the second reference voltage output end of the reference voltage generating unit, the second reference voltage output end is used to output the second reference voltage, and the output end of the second comparison circuit unit is connected to the input and output port of the microcontroller.

8. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modulation circuit includes an electrical parameter control unit. When the consumable is installed in the image forming device, the electrical parameter control unit is used to control the electrical parameters of the current loop formed between the image formation control unit and the consumable chip.

9. The consumable chip according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electrical parameter control unit specifically includes: an electrical parameter setting unit, specifically configured to set electrical parameters of a current loop formed between the image forming control unit and the consumable chip when the consumable is installed in the image forming device; The switch circuit is specifically used to enable the electrical parameter setting unit when the switch circuit is turned on, and disable the electrical parameter setting unit when the switch circuit is turned off.

10. The consumable chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first input signal is specifically a data signal, and the second input signal is a clock signal.

11. A consumable material, characterized in that: include: case; a developer containing portion, located in the housing and used for containing the developer; as well as The consumable chip according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The consumable material according to claim 11, characterized in that: The consumables also include: The developer conveying element is used for conveying the developer.

13. The consumable material according to claim 12, characterized in that: The consumables also include: Photosensitive drum; A charging roller is used for charging the photosensitive drum.

14. A consumable material, characterized in that: The consumables include: Photosensitive drum; a charging roller for charging the photosensitive drum; and The consumable chip according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that: include: an image formation control unit; And the consumable chip according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

16. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to the consumable chip according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the consumable chip is mounted on a consumable, and the consumable is mounted on an image forming device, and the image forming device includes an image forming control unit, and is characterized in that the method comprises: receiving a first input signal and a second input signal determined based on first information to be transmitted and sent by the image formation control unit via a first connection pin and a second connection pin, wherein the consumable chip includes a substrate, the substrate being provided with the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, the first connection terminal being connected to a first connection pin on the image forming device that is different from a power pin and a ground pin, and the second connection terminal being connected to a second connection pin on the image forming device that is different from a power pin and a ground pin; Demodulating the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulated signal; The first signal to be transmitted sent by the image formation control unit is determined according to the demodulated signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The demodulating the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain a demodulated signal specifically includes: Demodulating the first input signal and the second input signal to obtain digital signals corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal respectively; or The first input signal and the second input signal are demodulated respectively to obtain electrical parameters corresponding to the first input signal and the second input signal.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining second to-be-transmitted information to be transmitted to the image formation control unit; The electrical parameters of the current loop formed between the image formation control unit and the consumable chip are controlled based on the second information to be transmitted.

19. A contact state detection method, the method being applied to the consumable chip according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the consumable chip is mounted on a consumable, the consumable is mounted on an image forming device, and the image forming device includes an image forming control unit, wherein: The method comprises: Setting a first electrical parameter of a current loop formed between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit, wherein the first electrical parameter is used to determine whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good; In which, the consumable chip includes a substrate, on which the first connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal are provided, the first connecting terminal is connected to a first connecting pin on the image forming device that is different from the power pin and the ground pin, and the second connecting terminal is connected to a second connecting pin on the image forming device that is different from the power pin and the ground pin.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first electrical parameter is used to determine whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good, specifically including: The first electrical parameter is specifically used to determine a second electrical parameter, which is different from the first electrical parameter, of the current loop formed between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit, and the second electrical parameter is used to determine whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good in combination with a first preset range.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that When it is determined that the second electrical parameter is within the first preset range and the second electrical parameter is within the second preset range, the second electrical parameter is used to determine, in combination with the first preset range and the second preset range, to reduce the speed of data transmission between the image forming device and the consumable chip, wherein the second preset range is included in the first preset range.

22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that When it is determined that the second electrical parameter is not within the first preset range, the second electrical parameter is used to determine an error in combination with the first preset range.

23. A communication method, the method being applied to a consumable chip, the consumable chip being mounted on a consumable, the consumable being mounted on an image forming device, the image forming device comprising an image forming control unit, characterized in that: include: Conducting contact status detection using the method described in any one of claims 19 to 22; After determining that the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good, communicating using the method according to any one of claims 16 to 18; In which, the consumable chip includes a substrate, on which the first connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal are provided, the first connecting terminal is connected to a first connecting pin on the image forming device that is different from the power pin and the ground pin, and the second connecting terminal is connected to a second connecting pin on the image forming device that is different from the power pin and the ground pin.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein Also includes: If it is determined that the second electrical parameter is within a first preset range, and the second electrical parameter is within a second preset range, then the second electrical parameter is used to determine, in combination with the first preset range and the second preset range, whether the speed of data transmission between the image forming device and the consumable chip is reduced; the first electrical parameter is specifically used to determine a second electrical parameter, different from the first electrical parameter, of a current loop formed between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit, and the second electrical parameter is used to determine, in combination with the first preset range, whether the contact between the consumable chip and the image formation control unit is good; According to the reduced data transmission speed, communication is performed using the method according to any one of claims 16 to 18.

25. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that Also includes: If it is determined that the second electrical parameter is not within the first preset range, an error is reported.

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