Thermal print head usage monitor and method for using the monitor
View Patent ↗A data acquisition unit for use in monitoring print head activity and collecting corresponding data for product analysis is disclosed. A method of using the data acquisition unit is also disclosed.
1. A print head comprising:
a print head driver circuit;
at least one memory configured to store data;
a data acquisition unit integrated with the print head, said data acquisition unit comprising a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller comprises a dedicated interrupt that is edge sensitive per each active low transition of a print head latch signal, wherein the print head latch signal is active once per each print line.
2. The print head of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller, in response to processing the interrupt, increments a printer line counter value.
3. The print head of claim 2 , wherein the printer line counter value is stored in the at least one memory of the print head.
4. The print head of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition unit, in response to the microcontroller processing the interrupt, samples data channels conveying information from the print head.
5. The print head of claim 4 , wherein the data channels conveying information from the print head comprise a thermistor signal and a thermal head voltage signal.
6. The print head of claim 5 , wherein the sampled data from the thermistor signal and the thermal head voltage signal are stored in the at least one memory.
7. The print head of claim 1 , further comprising a printer power module configured to determine an amount of power used to operate the print head.
8. The print head of claim 7 , wherein the data acquisition unit, in response to the microcontroller processing the interrupt, samples a data channel conveying amount of power used to operate the print head.
9. The print head of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to monitor a clock signal, a latch signal, a strobe signal, a thermistor signal, and a voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal is the operating voltage of the thermal print head.
10. The print head of claim 9 , further comprising an external interface, wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to send data to the external interface.
11. The print head of claim 10 , wherein data sent from the external interface to a remote operating system is encrypted.
12. A method of operating a print head comprising:
receiving at a microcontroller of a data acquisition unit a low transition of a print head latch signal, wherein the print head latch signal is active once per each print line;
processing the low transition of the print head latch signal as an interrupt;
incrementing a printer line counter value in response to processing the low transition of the print head latch signal; and
storing the printer line counter value in a memory on the print head.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sampling data channels conveying information from the print head in response to processing the interrupt.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data channels conveying information from the print head comprise a thermistor signal and a thermal head voltage signal.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
storing the information from the sampled data channels in the memory on the printhead.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining an amount of power used to operate the print head.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
monitoring a clock signal, a latch signal, a strobe signal, a thermistor signal, and a voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal is the operating voltage of the thermal print head.
18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sending data from the data acquisition unit to an external interface.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
encrypting the data and sending the encrypted data from the external interface.