Abstract:
A method and system for authenticating print media includes providing a digital memory physically associated with a holder of print media, and storing data in the digital memory, which data is adapted to be authenticated to allow use of the print media. In a preferred embodiment the system and method are capable of detecting the print medium present in a printer and adjusting printing characteristics of a printer with respect to the specific print medium present.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention generally relates to printers for digital photographic images and more particularly to ensuring that the proper print media are used with a manufacturer&#39;s printer and adjusting different printing characteristics of the printer for different print media.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Printing of digital photographs is proliferating with increased usage of digital cameras and the digital storage and distribution of photographic images. Printing of digital images is somewhat difficult for color images as separate color components are typically applied separately. Further, image quality may vary widely depending upon several factors including the particular print medium being used. Manufacturers can fine tune their printers to produce exceptional quality on given print media, only to have that quality severely degrade when an improper print medium is used.  
         [0003]     Because printer sales for each manufacturer are frequently dependent upon the image quality provided, a manufacturer&#39;s reputation and sales can suffer when improper print media are used. For this reason, it is desirable for manufacturers to ensure that proper print media are used with their respective printers. It is also desirable that printers have the capability to adjust different printing characteristics depending upon the particular print medium being utilized in any particular instance to obtain improved print quality.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention provides an authentication system for print media, comprising a digital memory adapted to be physically associated with specific print media, and coded data stored in the memory and being adapted to confirm authenticity of the specific print media.  
         [0005]     The coded data stored in the memory may include an identification number, which can be authenticated with an algorithm. The memory may be reprogrammed with a new identification number which is stored in place of the first identification number to enable use of additional print media in association with the memory. The identification number may be unique to the memory.  
         [0006]     The system may further comprise a print media holder physically associated with the digital memory, wherein the memory is affixed to the print media holder. The memory may be located in a carrier adapted to be commercially distributed with the print media. The memory may include a copyright notice prohibiting all copying.  
         [0007]     The system may further comprise a printer control system adapted to be operably connected to the digital memory and for authenticating the coded data stored in the memory for enabling usage of the print media. The coded data may include an identification number, and the control system may be adapted to store associated usage data as a record of how much print media has been used with respect to the identification number. The digital memory may be a flash memory, and the control system may be adapted to store data in the flash memory responsive to an amount of usage of the print media. The control system may be adapted to terminate usage of print media associated with an identification number once a predetermined amount of print media usage has occurred with respect to the identification number.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, the present invention provides an authentication system for print media, comprising a digital memory adapted to be physically associated with a print media holder, coded data stored in the memory and being adapted to confirm authenticity of the print media holder, and a control system adapted to be operably connected to the digital memory and for authenticating the coded data stored in the memory for enabling usage of print media from the print media holder.  
         [0009]     The coded data stored in the memory may include an identification number, and the control system may be adapted for authenticating the identification number with an algorithm.  
         [0010]     The control system may be adapted to store the identification number as a record of a print media holder which has been used by the control system. The control system may be adapted to store associated usage data as a record of how much print media has been used with respect to an identification number or a respective print media holder. The digital memory may be a flash memory, and the control system may be adapted to store the usage data in the flash memory. The control system may be adapted to terminate usage of a print media holder associated with an identification number once a predetermined amount of print media usage has been recorded with respect to the identification number. The control system may be adapted to control a printing apparatus.  
         [0011]     Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for authenticating print media, comprising the steps of providing a digital memory physically associated with a holder of print media, and storing data in the digital memory, which data is adapted to be authenticated to allow use of the print media. The data in the memory may include an identification number, which is adapted to be authenticated by an algorithm.  
         [0012]     The method may further comprise connecting the memory to a printer control system adapted for authenticating the identification number. The method may include digitally storing the identification number as a record of a holder which has been used by the printer control system. The method may also include digitally storing the identification number and associated usage data as a record of how much print media has been used from a respective holder.  
         [0013]     The method may still further include terminating usage of the holder once a predetermined amount of print media from the holder has been used.  
         [0014]     The digital memory may be a flash memory used for storing data responsive to an amount of usage of print media from the holder.  
         [0015]     The method may further include reusing the memory with additional print media or another holder of print media including storing a new identification number in the memory.  
         [0016]     In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for identifying a particular type of print medium being utilized in a printer and adjusting different characteristics of the printer, such as, for example, the thermal history control, for the particular type of print medium and thereby providing improved image quality with the particular print medium.  
         [0017]     In this embodiment, the control system may be adapted to store in the digital memory which, as described above, may be a flash memory, the characteristics for different print media which are supported by the printer. Further, the printer may be configured to print only on specific print media types which are identified in the digital memory. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and advantages and further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description of various preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a representational perspective view of a print media holder constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a representational perspective view of a roll of print media associated with a flash memory in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a tabular representation of a digital memory used in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a representational side view of a printer apparatus constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  represents a print media cassette or holder  10 , which generally includes a roll of a print medium  12  and a digital memory device  14 . Digital memory device  14  includes coded data adapted to confirm authenticity of print medium  12  and/or print media holder  10 . Print media holder  10  is designed for use with a specially constructed printer apparatus, which couples with the form of holder  10  and electrically connects to memory device  14 . Memory device  14  includes electrical contacts  16  adapted to provide access to the data contents of digital memory device  14  by such a specifically constructed printer apparatus. This access enables a printer apparatus, or the control system thereof, to authenticate holder  10  and/or the print medium contained therein. Print medium  12  would be fed to a printer through an opening  17  in holder  10 .  
         [0025]     Digital memory device  14  further includes a copyright notice  18  appearing on a visible outside surface  20 . Copyright notice  18  serves as a reminder to would-be copiers that copying the contents of memory device  14  is illegal.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows a roll of a print medium  30  in association with a memory device carrier  32 . Carrier  32  includes a memory device  34 , which may take any suitable form such as a flash memory. Memory carrier  32  also includes a multiplicity of electrical contacts  36  allowing external access to memory device  34  and its contents. Memory device carrier  32  would also include a copyright notice  38  to discourage unauthorized access to the data contents of memory device  34 .  
         [0027]     In a preferred embodiment, memory device  34  takes the form of a smart card, such as the one available from Datacard Group of Minnetonka, Minn. The smart card includes a flash memory and control intelligence which only allows access to the contents of the memory in response to a predetermined password. This type of memory device provides enhanced security to the contents of the memory and its uses. This type of memory device may also be used in place of memory device  14  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0028]     Although the more secure smart card is identified as a preferred embodiment, other, less physically secure types of memory devices, may also be used. Although such devices may be physically less secure, they typically contain significantly larger amounts of memory, which may be used to encode their data thus enhancing security. Other examples of usable memory devices could include an industry standard flash memory device, such as SECURE MEDIA, MEMORY STICKS, magnetic strips or an optical memory surface such as that used for compact disks. The authentication function for data contained in such open memory devices might then reside in software, i.e., printer driver, running on a standard personal computer, or PC, used to drive a printer apparatus.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a tabular representation of data stored in a memory device for purposes of the present invention. The intersection of rows and columns may represent either individual data bits, bytes, or larger numbers. In the smart card embodiment mentioned above, the memory includes 256 bytes. Data within memory  40  may be encoded by any suitable means, such as by non-linear memory locations  42 ,  44 .  
         [0030]     The contents of memory  40  preferably include an identification number  46 , in memory location  42 . Memory  40  may further include usage data  48  stored in memory location  44 . This usage data is described in greater detail below.  
         [0031]     Identification number  46  may include encoding in the form of amenability to an algorithm. Thus, for each memory device, only certain numbers out of the entire available series would be used. The numbers used would cause the application of the algorithm to produce an identifiable result. The limitation of using less than all of the available numbers in a series is compensated for by using a sufficiently large series, which is possible due to the available sizes of modern flash memories. The algorithm may contain any suitable combination of mathematical or non-mathematical operations. An example of one simplified algorithm is verification of the identification number  46  in a look-up table.  
         [0032]     The various specific encoding and authentication techniques described herein are presented as an example and various suitable techniques may be alternatively or additionally used.  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a representational side view of a printer apparatus  50 , which generally includes a control module  52 , a printing mechanism  54  and a print media holder  56 . Print media holder  56  is constructed in the same form as print media holder  10  of  FIG. 1 , and includes a roll of a print medium  58 , which is threaded through printer mechanism  54 . Print media holder  56  also includes memory module  60  which is coupled to control module  52  through a connector  62 . Printer apparatus  50  is constructed specifically to accept print media holder  56  and includes a control system  64  located in module  52 , which control system is adapted to access data within memory device  60 . The data in memory device  60  includes the same identification number discussed in reference to  FIG. 3  and control system  64  is adapted to authenticate identification numbers within memory device  60  with the use of a look-up table  66  and to responsively enable printing on print medium  58 .  
         [0034]     In practice, when a print media holder  56  is installed into printer apparatus  50 , control system  64  reads and authenticates the identification number stored in memory  60 . Upon such authentication, printer apparatus  50  is enabled by control system  64  to allow printing. Control system  64  also stores the authenticated identification number in an internal memory as a record of an authentication number that was used with printer apparatus  50 . Thus, if another print media holder having the same identification number is installed in printer apparatus  50 , its use can be disabled as a counterfeit print media holder.  
         [0035]     Control system  64  also keeps track of the amount of print media usage associated with each identification number and likewise stores that usage data in an internal memory. Thus, if the usage level exceeds the amount of usage available from a single print media holder, usage of print media associated with the corresponding identification number can be blocked. It may also be the case that a print media holder  56  is prematurely removed from apparatus  50  and is then reinstalled. Even though control system  64  recognizes the identification number as one that has already been used, further usage can be allowed based upon the known usage level for that holder.  
         [0036]     Control system  64  may further be adapted to store the usage data in memory device  60 , such as usage data  48  in memory location  44  ( FIG. 3 ). This enables a print media holder  56  to be removed from printer apparatus  50  and properly installed and used in a similarly compatible printer apparatus (not shown). Other forms of data may also be recorded in memory device  60  to prevent different forms of unauthorized usage.  
         [0037]     In addition to identification of the media as proper for use in a printer apparatus, the present arrangement may also be used to further enhance print quality by using the memory device to store print media calibration data. In this manner, a suitably programmed printer could fine tune its printing process to a particular batch of a specific type of a print medium or to one or more specific types of print media which are incorporated in the printer memory.  
         [0038]     Referring now to  FIG. 5  there is seen a block diagram illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention. This embodiment includes an electronic print media detection element  70  for identifying the particular type of print medium which has been inserted in the printer apparatus  72 . Detection element  70  is coupled to memory module  74  of printer  72  through a connector  76 .  
         [0039]     The memory module  74  includes data identifying various types of print media which have been selected as being preferred for use with the printer  72 . In one embodiment the printer may be configured not to print on any print medium for which identifying data is not included in memory module  74 . In another embodiment, the printer may be configured to adjust various printing characteristics so as to optimize the print quality of the images printed on the specific print medium being used in a particular instance. Generally, according to this embodiment it is possible to achieve WYSWYG (“what you see is what you get”) by matching more closely in the image formed the color characteristics of the image being copied. Print characteristics which may be adjusted include, for example, thermal history control, color profiles for the print media, look up tables (LUTS) and the like.  
         [0040]     Memory module  74  may contain any of the memory devices described previously herein. The printer adjustment function for data contained in open memory devices might then reside in software, i.e., printer driver, running on an image input device such as a standard personal computer, or PC,  78  used to drive printer apparatus  72  or the software may be stored in memory module  74 . The resulting printer-specific bitmap is converted to signals which are sent to one or more print head(s) (not shown) of printer  72 .  
         [0041]     Although the present invention has been described illustratively above with respect to various preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.