A cartridge chip and a writing device for rewriting the cartridge chip

Abstract

The application provides a cartridge chip for a consumable cartridge, which stores consumable remaining amount information and multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a count value, and the count value is increased when the set of authentication data is authenticated; characterized in that the count values corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all not zero, and the consumable remaining amount information is not in a sufficient state. Therefore, the application can provide a regenerated cartridge chip with better user experience, avoiding the user from being disturbed by the low consumable remaining amount.

Description

A cartridge chip and a writing device for rewriting the cartridge chip. Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printing imaging, and particularly to a cartridge chip used in a printing device, and a writing device for rewriting the cartridge chip. Background Technology

[0002] In printing devices such as inkjet and laser printers, recording materials (e.g., ink, toner) are supplied through a consumable cartridge. The recording materials are stored in the cartridge, and when they are depleted, the user simply replaces the cartridge, allowing the printer to continue operating. To facilitate cartridge management, a cartridge chip is installed on the cartridge. This chip stores information about the cartridge, such as the manufacturer, type, color, capacity, and usage status of the recording materials (toner, ink). Therefore, when the user installs the cartridge into the printer, the information stored in the cartridge chip is provided to the printer, allowing it to access the cartridge's basic information. Furthermore, during cartridge use, the printer writes updated information, such as usage status, back to the cartridge chip.

[0003] Because the recording material in the consumable cartridge is limited, some users add ink or toner to keep the cartridge usable after the recording material runs out. However, the cartridge chip (i.e., the used cartridge chip) on the original consumable cartridge (which can be understood as a discarded, used cartridge) has had its remaining consumable information (such as ink remaining information or ink consumption information) rewritten by the printer to indicate that the consumable is low. Therefore, when users add ink or toner to a used consumable cartridge and then install it on the printer, the printer will issue a low consumable warning or alarm, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, in order to provide a recyclable cartridge chip with a better user experience and avoid users being bothered by low consumable levels reminders, the present invention provides a cartridge chip and a method and writing device for rewriting the cartridge chip. The cartridge chip stores the rewritten information, and after being installed on the printing device, it will not trigger the printing device to issue a low consumable level reminder or alarm.

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides a box chip for a consumable box, which stores consumable balance information and multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a count value, which increases when the set of authentication data is authenticated; characterized in that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero, and the consumable balance information is in a state of insufficient quantity.

[0006] In other embodiments, only a portion of the authentication data is accessed and authenticated by the printing device, and the corresponding count value increases when the authentication data is authenticated.

[0007] In other embodiments, when the consumable balance information is less than or equal to a preset value, the consumable balance information is not sufficient.

[0008] In other embodiments, when the printing device accesses the consumable balance information and finds it to be less than or equal to a preset value, it will indicate that the consumable balance in the consumable cartridge is insufficient.

[0009] In other embodiments, when the printing device accesses consumable balance information that is less than or equal to a preset value, and the count value corresponding to the accessed authentication data is not zero, it will indicate that the consumable box is a used consumable box.

[0010] In other embodiments, when the box chip receives an authentication command, the count value corresponding to the authenticated authentication data is incremented, and the authentication command is used to authenticate one of the multiple sets of authentication data.

[0011] A second aspect of the invention provides a writing device for rewriting a cartridge chip, the cartridge chip being used in a consumable cartridge.

[0012] The box chip stores multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a set of count values; its characteristic is that...

[0013] The writing device is used to rewrite the count value in the box chip so that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero.

[0014] In other embodiments, the writing device rewrites a counter value in the cartridge chip by sending an authentication command to the cartridge chip, the authentication command being used to authenticate one of the plurality of sets of authentication data. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the box-chip structure of the present invention; Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] In order to provide a recyclable cartridge chip with a better user experience and avoid users being bothered by low consumable levels, this invention provides a cartridge chip, a method for rewriting the cartridge chip, and a writing device. The cartridge chip stores the rewritten information and, after being installed on the printing device, will not trigger the printing device to issue a low consumable level prompt or alarm.

[0018] The cartridge chip of this invention includes an interface module and a storage section. The storage section stores consumable balance information and multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a count value. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG1, the multiple sets of authentication data include first authentication data and second authentication data. The first authentication data is corresponding to a count value 1, and the second authentication data is corresponding to a count value 2. The storage section may also store other information related to the cartridge chip or consumable box, such as production date, manufacturer, and consumable box capacity. The interface module may specifically be a contact point, antenna, or coil, used to connect to a printing device or a writing device described later, and to receive communication signals from the printing device or the writing device.

[0019] The printing device in this application can be an inkjet printer, laser printer, 3D printer, label printer, dot matrix printer, or other printing and imaging equipment. The consumable cartridge can be a container for holding recording materials, such as an ink cartridge, toner cartridge, drum unit, toner tube, or ribbon cartridge. The cartridge chip is an electronic device with storage function that can be installed on the consumable cartridge.

[0020] The authentication data referred to in this invention may include one or more of the following: cartridge chip serial number, serial number, consumable serial number, authentication code, toner serial number, ink serial number, digital signature, seed data, or verification data; it may also include associated data, for example, if the serial number is related to the production date, the authentication data will include not only the serial number but also the related production date information. The multiple sets of authentication data stored in the cartridge chip, besides the two sets (first authentication data and second authentication data) exemplified in Figure 1 above, may also be three sets, four sets, or other quantities, without limitation. The quantifiers "multiple" or "multiple sets" mentioned in this invention refer to two or more.

[0021] Authentication data is read by the printer from the cartridge chip. After verification and validation, if the authentication data meets the printer's expectations, the printer can use it as one of the bases for the cartridge chip's legitimacy. Therefore, printers typically establish a secure access channel using authentication commands and then read the authentication data from the cartridge chip through this channel. When establishing a secure access channel using these authentication commands, a session key is generally used for two-way authentication. The authentication command mentioned here is used to authenticate one set of authentication data among multiple sets stored in the cartridge chip. To track the number of times the printer authenticates each set of authentication data, a counter is assigned to each set of authentication data in the cartridge chip. When authentication data is authenticated (i.e., when accessed by the printer via an authentication command), the corresponding counter value increases. For example, if the initial counter value is 0, then when the corresponding authentication data is authenticated by the authentication command, the counter value increases by one unit. When one unit is 1, the counter value increases from the initial value of 0 to the value of 1.

[0022] Through research, the inventors of this invention discovered that when the cartridge chip is installed in a printing device, the device selects one or more sets of authentication data for authentication, thus increasing the corresponding count value, which is no longer the initial value. However, when the recording material in the consumable cartridge is used up, and this used, discarded consumable cartridge is refilled with recording material by a recycling company, without replacing the cartridge chip, although the recycled consumable cartridge can be recognized by other printing devices, these devices may continuously indicate insufficient consumables. Further research by the inventors revealed that when other printing devices authenticate unauthenticated data, if they find that the corresponding count value is the initial value and the consumables remaining information stored in the cartridge chip indicates insufficient recording material, they will continuously prompt the user through the printing device's screen, driver, monitor, etc., that the consumable cartridge in use has insufficient consumables, causing user confusion: the recycled consumable cartridge is already full of recording material, but the printing device still indicates insufficient consumables.

[0023] Therefore, this application provides a method and writing device for rewriting such recycling box chips, as well as a rewritten box chip, thereby solving the problem of poor user experience.

[0024] This invention provides a writing device for rewriting a cartridge chip, the cartridge chip being used in a consumable cartridge.

[0025] The box chip stores multiple sets of authentication data, and each set of authentication data corresponds to a count value; the writing device is used to rewrite the count values ​​in the box chip so that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero.

[0026] In other embodiments, the writing device rewrites a counter value in the cartridge chip by sending an authentication command to the cartridge chip, the authentication command being used to authenticate one of the plurality of sets of authentication data.

[0027] This invention provides a method for rewriting a cartridge chip, wherein the cartridge chip is used in a consumable cartridge.

[0028] The box chip stores multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a set of counter values; the rewriting method includes:

[0029] The count values ​​in the box chip are rewritten so that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero.

[0030] In other embodiments, the above method involves rewriting the count value in the cartridge chip by sending an authentication instruction to the cartridge chip, the authentication instruction being used to authenticate one of the multiple sets of authentication data.

[0031] By providing the above rewriting method and writing device, the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data stored in the cartridge chip are all non-zero. Therefore, no matter which printing device the cartridge chip is to be installed on, the count value corresponding to the accessed authentication data will not be the initial value, thus avoiding user experience problems.

[0032] The recycled used cartridge chip stores consumable balance information indicating that the remaining material is insufficient. Therefore, when the printer reads the authentication data based on this information and the corresponding count value is not the initial value (i.e., zero), it will indicate that the consumable cartridge with the chip installed is a used or old consumable cartridge. This prompt is basically consistent with the user's understanding and will not cause confusion to the user.

[0033] In other embodiments, when the consumable balance information is less than or equal to a preset value, the consumable balance information is not considered sufficient. For example, if sufficient consumable balance is 100%, then the preset value can be a number smaller than 100%, such as 30% or 20%.

[0034] In other embodiments, when the printing device accesses the consumable balance information and finds it to be less than or equal to a preset value, it will indicate that the consumable balance in the consumable cartridge is insufficient.

[0035] In other embodiments, when the printing device accesses consumable balance information that is less than or equal to a preset value, and the count value corresponding to the accessed authentication data is not zero, it will indicate that the consumable box is a used consumable box.

[0036] In other embodiments, when the box chip receives an authentication command, the count value corresponding to the authenticated authentication data is incremented, and the authentication command is used to authenticate one of the multiple sets of authentication data.

[0037] During their research, the inventors of this invention discovered that writing a flag bit into the storage portion of the cartridge chip, with this flag bit defaulting to a first state, and when this flag bit is in a second state, will prompt the printer that the cartridge is a used or old cartridge after it is installed on some printing devices. This prompt is consistent with the user's understanding and will not cause confusion, nor will it indicate insufficient consumables. Therefore, this flag bit can also be understood as an old consumables flag. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, besides rewriting the count value corresponding to the authentication data to solve the problem of insufficient consumables, it can also be solved by setting the old consumables flag bit to the second state alone, or by simultaneously rewriting the count value corresponding to the authentication data and setting the old consumables flag bit to the second state. The first and second states of this flag bit are different; for example, the first state is 1 and the second state is 0.

[0038] This invention also provides a method for modifying a brand-new compatible chip into one that can be recognized by the printer as a "used consumable" or "old consumable" when installed, and the resulting "used cartridge chip". Unlike cartridge chips produced by printer manufacturers, which are generally defined as original cartridge chips, chips produced by other manufacturers and recognized by the printer after installation on their printers are generally defined as third-party cartridge chips or compatible cartridge chips. The "used cartridge chip" is not an original cartridge chip, but rather a compatible cartridge chip that has been modified during the manufacturing process using the modification method (used cartridge method) of this invention, making it recognized by the printer as a "used consumable" or "old consumable". Therefore, the process of modifying a brand-new compatible cartridge chip into a used cartridge chip can also be called a "used cartridge" processing process (corresponding to the "used cartridge method").

[0039] The "re-certification" method involves modifying a flag bit stored in the memory of the newly manufactured compatible cartridge chip to a second state, where the default state is the first state. When this flag bit is in the second state, after the cartridge chip is installed on some printing devices, the printing device will indicate that the cartridge with the installed cartridge chip is a used or old cartridge. This indication is largely consistent with user understanding and will not cause confusion for users, nor will it indicate insufficient consumables.

[0040] The inventors of this invention discovered during their research that when a consumable cartridge reaches the end of its lifespan, the printing device stores the certification data (e.g., serial number) of the cartridge chip on the cartridge and the corresponding remaining consumable information in the printing device's memory as a correspondence. Therefore, if the certification data of a cartridge chip subsequently installed on the printing device is the same as the certification data stored in the printing device, the printing device will compare whether there is a significant difference between the remaining consumable information in the cartridge chip and the corresponding remaining consumable information stored in the printing device. For example, if the printing device stores certification data A100 for cartridge chip A corresponding to a remaining consumable information of 5%, when the user installs another cartridge chip B, which also stores certification data A100, into the printing device, the printing device will read the remaining consumable information from cartridge chip B. If cartridge chip B's consumable balance information is 50%, since 50% is significantly higher than the 5% recorded by the printing device, the printing device considers cartridge chip B problematic or invalid and refuses to use it. In this case, cartridge chips that also store authentication data A100 cannot continue to be used on the printing device, and compatible cartridge chips need to develop more authentication data, leading to a high development success rate. If cartridge chip C's authentication data is also A100, but its consumable balance information is 4%, since 4% is less than 5%, the printing device will not consider cartridge chip C problematic or invalid. Therefore, cartridge chip C can be installed and used on the printing device. In this case, cartridge chips that also store authentication data A100 can continue to be used on the printing device, solving the problem of insufficient authentication data.

[0041] Another scenario is that if the consumable balance information stored in the cartridge chip is at a minimum value (e.g., 0%), the printer may indicate that the cartridge chip has insufficient consumable balance, leading to a poor user experience. Therefore, to avoid the printer's prompts causing a poor user experience, in the previous embodiment, the preset value of the consumable balance information should also be greater than the minimum value; therefore, the preset value should be greater than 0%.

[0042] Therefore, the present invention also provides a cartridge chip that has undergone obsolescence processing, which includes an interface module and a storage part. The storage part includes a flag bit that is in a second state. When the flag bit is in the second state, after the cartridge chip is installed on some printing devices, the printing devices will indicate that the consumable cartridge with the cartridge chip installed is a used or old consumable cartridge.

[0043] In other embodiments, the storage section also stores consumable balance information, which is a preset value that is greater than the minimum limit.

[0044] In other embodiments, the storage section also stores multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a count value, wherein the count values ​​corresponding to multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero.

[0045] The present invention also provides a modification device that uses the above-mentioned old-use processing method to modify the cartridge chip, so that after being installed on the printing device, it will indicate that the consumable cartridge is a used consumable cartridge, instead of indicating that the consumable is low, thereby improving the user experience.

[0046] Unlike original box chips that can only be modified later, compatible box chips can initialize and set the authentication data count value, the aforementioned consumable balance information, and the flag bits of the storage part during the production process. This eliminates the need to modify the box chip after production, saving time and improving production efficiency.

[0047] In this invention, the storage portion of the cell chip can use common non-volatile memory, such as EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, ferroelectric memory, phase change memory, etc., or it can use a volatile memory plus a power supply, such as SRAM + battery or capacitor, DRAM + battery or capacitor.

[0048] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various functional units or modules in the present invention can be partially implemented by computer programs or by related hardware circuits, and this is not limited thereto.

Claims

1. A compatible cartridge chip for a consumable cartridge, the consumable cartridge being used in a printing device, wherein the consumable cartridge stores consumable balance information and multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a counter value, the counter value being incremented when the set of authentication data is authenticated; characterized in that, During the production process of the compatible box chip, the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are modified by a writing device other than the printing device to be non-zero, so that the count values ​​indicate that the multiple sets of authentication data have been authenticated and the consumable balance information is insufficient.

2. The compatible box chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, Of the multiple sets of authentication data, only a portion of the authentication data is accessed and authenticated by the printing device, and the corresponding count value increases when the authentication data is authenticated.

3. The compatible box chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the remaining consumable information is less than or equal to a preset value, the remaining consumable information is not sufficient.

4. The compatible box chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the printing device detects that the remaining consumables are less than or equal to a preset value, it will prompt that the consumables in the consumables box are insufficient.

5. The compatible box chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the printing device accesses consumable balance information that is less than or equal to a preset value, and the count value corresponding to the accessed authentication data is not zero, it will prompt that the consumable box is a used consumable box.

6. The compatible box chip according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the compatible box chip receives an authentication command, the counter value corresponding to the authenticated data is incremented. The authentication command is used to authenticate one of the multiple sets of authentication data.

7. A writing device for rewriting a compatible cartridge chip, the compatible cartridge chip being used in a consumable cartridge, the compatible cartridge chip storing multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a set of counter values; characterized in that, During the production process of the compatible box chip, the writing device is used to rewrite the count value in the compatible box chip so that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero, so that the count value indicates that the multiple sets of authentication data have been authenticated.

8. The writing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The writing device rewrites the counter value in the compatible box chip by sending an authentication command to the compatible box chip. The authentication command is used to authenticate one of the multiple sets of authentication data.

9. A method for rewriting a compatible cartridge chip, the compatible cartridge chip being used in a consumable cartridge, the compatible cartridge chip storing multiple sets of authentication data, each set of authentication data corresponding to a set of counter values; the rewriting method includes: During the production process of the compatible box chip, the count value in the compatible box chip is rewritten so that the count values ​​corresponding to the multiple sets of authentication data are all non-zero, so that the count value indicates that the multiple sets of authentication data have been authenticated.

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