US2017113888A1PendingUtilityA1

Print media management

37
Assignee: ELWHA LLCPriority: Oct 22, 2015Filed: Oct 22, 2015Published: Apr 27, 2017
Est. expiryOct 22, 2035(~9.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Roderick A. HydeJordin T. Kare
B65H 1/04B65H 1/20B65H 2553/40B65H 2511/411B65H 2301/21B65H 3/44B65H 2551/26B65H 2511/15G03G 2215/00742G03G 2215/00729G03G 2215/00725G03G 15/6508B65H 2515/10B65H 2511/13B65H 2511/414B65H 7/02B65H 7/20B65H 2511/30
37
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Claims

Abstract

Described embodiments include a system and method. A print sheet media management system includes a feeder apparatus configured to transfer a sheet from a stack of printable sheet media to a print engine. The system includes a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the stack of printable sheet media. The system includes an evaluation circuit configured to estimate the number of sheets in the stack of printable sheet media in response to (i) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media before a sheet of the stack of printable sheet media is transferred and (ii) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media after the sheet of printable sheet media is transferred. The system includes a communications circuit configured to transmit data indicative of the estimated number of printable sheets in the stack of printable sheet media.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A print sheet media management system, the system comprising:
 a feeder apparatus configured to transfer a sheet from a stack of printable sheet media to a print engine;   a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray;   an evaluation circuit configured to estimate the number of sheets in the stack of printable sheet media in response to (i) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray before a sheet of the stack of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to the print engine and (ii) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray after the sheet of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to the print engine; and   a communications circuit configured to transmit data indicative of the estimated number of printable sheets in the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet transferred from the media tray to the print engine is one sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet transferred from the media tray to the print engine includes at least two sheets. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet transferred from the media tray to the print engine includes at least five sheets. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet transferred from the media tray to the print engine includes at least ten sheets. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the media tray configured to carry the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the print engine.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a receiver circuit configured to electronically receive from a remote machine a job request for production of an image on a sheet of printable media from the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display device configured to provide a human perceivable representation of the data indicative of the estimated number of printable sheets in the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 electronically receiving from a remote machine a job request for production of an image on printable sheet media;   sensing a weight of a stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray before a sheet of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to a print engine;   transferring the sheet of printable sheet media from the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray to the print engine;   sensing a weight of a stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray after the sheet of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to the print engine;   estimating the number of sheets in the stack of printable sheet media in response to (i) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray before a sheet of the stack of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to the print engine and (ii) a sensed weight of the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray after the sheet of printable sheet media is transferred from the media tray to the print engine; and   electronically transmitting to the remote machine data indicative of the estimated number of printable sheets in the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         11 . A print sheet media management system, the system comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense at least two types of printable sheet media present in a stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray;   a receiver circuit configured to receive a job request for production of an image by a print engine on a selected type of printable sheet media;   an evaluation circuit configured to determine in response to the sensed at least two types of printable sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media if a next sheet in the stack of printable sheet media to be transferred to the print engine is the selected type of printable sheet media; and   a communications circuit configured to transmit data indicating if the job request for production of an image on the selected type of printable sheet media can be fulfilled from the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor includes an imaging sensor configured to sense at least two colors of printable sheet media present in a stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor includes a 1-dimensional or 2-dimensional imaging sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor includes a color imaging sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor includes a grayscale imaging sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine in response to a sensed at least two colors of sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media if a next sheet in the stack of printable sheet media to be transferred to the print engine is the color of printable sheet media selected by the job request. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine in response to a sensed at least two types of sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media if there are enough sheets of the selected color in the next sheets of the stack of printable sheet media to be transferred to the print engine to complete the job request. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor includes a mechanically-scanned photo sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising another sensor configured to sense an opening of the media tray or a removal of the media tray from an imaging device that includes the system. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is further configured to sense an addition of printable sheet media to the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is further configured to sense a removal of printable sheet media from the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is further configured to store data indicative of a thicknesses of previously-sensed types of printable sheet media and assume a thickness for newly-loaded printable sheet media based on matching a color, approximate thickness, and/or other optical characteristics of previously sensed printable sheet media (to enable accurate paper-supply count even for a small number of sheets). 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluation circuit is further configured to estimate (i) a number of a first type of printable sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray and (ii) a number of a second type of printable sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine in response to the estimated number of the first type of printable sheet media present if there is sufficient sheet media of the selected type of printable sheet media to fulfil the job request. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine if the next sheets in the stack of printable sheet media to be transferred to the print engine are of the selected type of printable sheet media and sufficient in a number to complete the job request. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a feeder apparatus configured to transfer a sheet from the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray to the print engine.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the feeder apparatus is further configured to bring the selected type of printable sheet media into a next-to-be-transferred-position in the stack of printable sheet media carried by the media tray. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the job request from a remote machine. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the communications circuit includes a communications circuit configured to electronically transmit to the remote machine data indicating if the job request for production of an image on the selected type of printable sheet media can be fulfilled from the stack of printable sheet media. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a media tray configured to carry the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a display device configured to provide a human perceivable representation of the data indicating if the job request for production of an image on the selected type of printable sheet media can be fulfilled from the stack of printable sheet media.   
     
     
         32 . A method comprising:
 sensing at least two types of printable sheet media present in a stack of printable sheet media carried by a media tray;   receiving a job request from a remote machine for production of an image by a print engine on a selected type of printable sheet media;   determining in response to the sensed at least two types of sheet media present in the stack of printable sheet media if a next sheet in the stack of printable sheet media to be transferred to the print engine is the selected type of printable sheet media; and   electronically transmitting to the remote machine data indicating if the job request for production of an image on the selected type of printable sheet media can be fulfilled from the stack of printable sheet media.

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