IP Library Granted Patent US 11,007,793
Granted Patent B2
US 11,007,793 · App. 16/923,277 · Granted May 18, 2021

Methods and systems for operating a printer apparatus

Inventor: Slawek Goetz (Lake Forest, CA)
Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation
B41J2/3555B41J2/0458B41J2/04513B41J2/04515B41J2/04536
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,007,793
App. No.
16/923,277
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments disclose a method for operating a printer apparatus. The method comprising monitoring a utilization rate of each heating element in a first set of heating elements defined by a print head arrangement. Further, the method comprises generating a utilization dataset based upon monitoring of the utilization rate of each heating element in the first set of heating elements print head arrangement. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing the utilization dataset to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating elements. Additionally, the method includes identifying a second set of heating elements defined by the print head arrangement. The second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements. The method further includes processing a print job. The processed print job utilized the second set of heating elements during printing.

Claims (34)

1. A printer apparatus comprising:

a print head arrangement comprising a first set of heating elements; and

a controller coupled to the print head arrangement, wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor a parameter of each heating element in the first set of heating elements;

analyze a utilization dataset generated based on the monitored parameter to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating elements; and

modify data included in a print job to cause a decrease in utilization of the identified one or more overutilized heating elements.

2. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display screen configured to display a notification, wherein the notification comprises at least a histogram illustrating the utilization dataset.

3. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor the parameter of each heating element of the first set of heating elements to determine an energization count for each heating element, wherein the energization count comprises a number of times each heating element is energized during printing of one or more print jobs.

4. The printer apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to analyze the utilization dataset by comparing the energization count of each heating element in the first set of heating elements with a predetermined threshold energization count.

5. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor the parameter of each heating element of the first set of heating elements to determine an energization duration of each heating element, wherein the energization duration comprises a time period each heating element is energized during printing of one or more print jobs.

6. The printer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze the utilization dataset by comparing the energization duration of each heating element of the first set of heating elements with a predetermined threshold energization duration.

7. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze the utilization dataset by determining a likelihood to fail for each heating element of the first set of heating elements based on an energization count and an energization duration, associated with each heating element in the first set of heating elements.

8. The printer apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a first difference between the energization count associated with each heating element in the first set of heating elements and a maximum energization count;

determine a second difference between the energization duration associated with each heating element in the first set of heating elements and a maximum energization duration; and

determine the likelihood to fail for each heating element based on the first difference and the second difference.

9. The printer apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the likelihood to fail for each heating element of the first set of heating elements with a predetermined failure threshold, to identify the one or more overutilized heating elements.

10. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to modify the data in the print job to modify one or more of a size of the data in the print job, a position of the data in the print job, or a font type of the data in the print job, wherein printing the modified data in the print job includes utilizes a second set of heating elements, and wherein the second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements.

11. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to modify the data in the print job such that printing the modified data utilizes one or more heating elements of a second set of heating elements and one or more heating elements of the one or more overutilized heating elements, wherein the second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements.

12. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a remaining life for each heating element of the first set of heating elements based on at least one of an energization count or an energization duration of the heating element.

13. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a notification identifying the remaining life for one or more of the heating elements.

14. The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate one or more print job recommendations for display to a user, wherein a print job recommendation of the one or more print job recommendations comprises the print job that includes modified data, and wherein printing the modified data utilizes a second set of heating elements, wherein the second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements.

15. The printer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to analyze the data in the print job to determine whether printing the data in the print job will utilize at least one heating element of the one or more identified overutilized elements.

16. The printer apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to modify the data in the print job in response to determining that printing the data in the print job will utilize at least one heating element.

17. A method for operating a printer apparatus, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a controller, a parameter of each heating element in the first set of heating elements;

analyzing, by the controller, a utilization dataset generated based on the monitored parameter to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating elements; and

modifying, by the controller, data included in a print job to cause a decrease in utilization of the identified one or more overutilized heating elements.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising modifying the data in the print job to modify one or more of a size of the data in the print job, a position of the data in the print job, or a font type of the data in the print job, wherein printing the modified data in the print job includes utilizes a second set of heating elements, and wherein the second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising modifying the data in the print job such that printing the modified data utilizes one or more heating elements of a second set of heating elements and one or more heating elements of the one or more overutilized heating elements, wherein the second set of heating elements comprises a portion of the first set of heating elements exclusive of the one or more overutilized heating elements.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instruction stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

monitoring a parameter of each heating element in the first set of heating elements;

analyzing a utilization dataset generated based on the monitored parameter to identify one or more overutilized heating elements of the first set of heating element; and

modifying data included in a print job to cause a decrease in utilization of the identified one or more overutilized heating elements.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT NAME OF THE ASSIGNEE IS HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 062308 FRAME: 0749. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 1, 2023
From: DATAMAX-O'NEIL CORPORATION
To: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062639/0020 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2023
From: DATAMAX-O'NEIL CORPORATION
To: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062308/0749 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2020
From: GOETZ, SLAWEK
To: DATAMAX-O'NEIL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053590/0223 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16798698 · Feb 24, 2020
Continuation 15947351 · Apr 6, 2018
Related Publication 20200338903A1 · Oct 29, 2020