Abstract:
A method of operating a printer comprising at least one tray for retaining print media comprises reading a code associated with a quantity of print media, and associating the code with loading the quantity of print media in the tray in a database. If the print media in the tray is deemed unusual, based on types of media placed in the tray in the past, a human user near the printer is notified. The code on the print media is read through a wireless device in direct communication with a server retaining the database for a population of printers.

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
   The following U.S. Patent is incorporated by reference in its entirety for the teachings therein: U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,222 B1. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to copiers and printers that can be operated over a network. 
   BACKGROUND 
   In the office-equipment context, such as including copiers and printers, it is generally well known to provide, with each machine, a plurality of selectable trays, each having an identifiable type of print media therein. Different types of media may typically include papers of different sizes or colors, or transparency media. With specific users, however, there may be very specific types of media, such as different types of letterhead or other user-specific forms. 
   In situations where a plurality of copiers and printers are in communication with various computers through a network, a user originating a print job at a computer will wish to locate a machine having a correct type of media on which to print. Where the selection of available types of media is wide, such as including specific types of letterhead, a user at a computer will wish to have this very specific information about the media in each tray of many machines displayed to him in detail. 
   In the prior art, the fact that machines may be widely distributed geographically, with various machines being under the control of local key operators (who are responsible for maintaining supplies in each tray), creates a danger that a description of the media that is displayed to the user may become incorrect. U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,222 B1, mentioned above, discloses one method by which media information may be entered into each of a population of machines through a local user interface associated with each machine. 
   The present disclosure relates to a system for ensuring that correct or usual types of media are loaded into each of a population of printers and copiers, and also for accumulating and analyzing data about the media contents in each tray of each of a population of printers. 
   SUMMARY 
   According to one aspect, there is provided a method of operating a printer, the printer comprising at least one tray for retaining print media, comprising reading a code associated with a quantity of print media; associating the code with loading the quantity of print media in the tray in a database; and determining if the quantity of print media in the tray is unusual. 
   According to another aspect, there is provided a method of operating a plurality of printers, each printer including at least one tray for retaining print media. A reader reads a machine-readable code associated with a quantity of print media proposed to be loaded into a selected tray of a selected printer, and at least partially wirelessly transmits data relating to the code to a server. The server associates the code with loading the quantity of print media in the tray in a database. The database includes data relating to each printer in the plurality of printers, as well as a record of types of print media loaded into the selected tray in the past. The server uses the database to determine if the loading of the quantity of print media in the tray is unusual. The server indicates to a person loading the tray with the proposed quantity of print media that the proposed quantity of print media is unusual. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a network of user computers that can selectably operate one of a plurality of printers and copiers. 
       FIG. 2  is a simple diagram of a single printer, interacting with elements of a proposed embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a network of user computers that can selectably operate one of a plurality of printers and copiers. (As is familiar in the art, many digital copiers and facsimile machines function as printers, in that they output images based on data originating at a computer, and so for present purposes all such machines shall be referred to as “printers.”) Each user computer  10  is capable of sending print job data to a selected printer  12  over a network  14 . Each printer includes a plurality of what are here called paper trays (but which can be in any physical form and can conceivably retain any kind of print media), collectively labeled  16  within each printer. Each printer can include thereon a local user interface (UI)  13 , through which messages can be displayed (including sound messages) and instructions can be entered into a control system associated with the machine. Also available to all the printers on a network  14  is a server  18 , which typically is accessed by a systems administrator. As used herein, a “server” is any computer that is capable of retaining and performing operations on a database relating to the printers in a given population. 
     FIG. 2  is a simple diagram of a single printer  12 , interacting with elements of a proposed embodiment. The printer  12  includes three distinct trays, indicated as  16   a,    16   b,  and  16   c,  which can accept stacks of paper (or, more broadly, “media”) for feeding to the printing apparatus. There may further be provided one or more sensors such as  20  for determining the status (open for loading, or closed for feeding to the printer) of each tray  16   a,    16   b,  and  16   c.    
   In one embodiment there is a wireless reader  30  that can be carried by a person servicing a population of printers. The wireless reader  30  has at least two essential capabilities: to read machine-readable code (typically a bar-code, but any kind is possible) and wirelessly transmit data related to a code. The basic hardware platform of such a reader  30  can be a wireless bar-code scanner or a cell phone, such as with digital-camera hardware. In use, the code-reading portion of the device reads a machine-readable code associated with a quantity of media, such as on the packaging of a stack of paper  32 . Data identifying the type of quantity of media is then transmitted to a central database, such as retained for a population of printers in server  18 , in one of a number of ways. One way is for the reader  30  to contact server  18  through cell-phone channels; another is for the reader  30  to transmit the data through very short range radio signals to a receiver  34  on board the printer  12 ; the received data is then sent through network channels from printer  12  through network  14  to server  18 . Other ways of getting data from reader  30  to server  18  will be apparent. 
   When a machine-readable code associated with a quantity of media  32  is loaded into a tray of a printer  12 , the quantity of media  32  must in turn be associated in the database with a specific tray such as  16   a,    16   b,    16   c.  There are a number of possible approaches to accomplish this. In one method, incidental to transmitting data relating to the quantity of media  32 , the reader  30  transmits data relating to the tray  16   a,    16   b,  or  16   c  intended to receive the media. Each tray can have a machine-readable code  17   a,    17   b,  or  17   c,  visible when the tray is open, that identifies the tray and the printer  12 . When opening a tray such as  16   a  for loading, the user of reader  30  reads the code on media  32  and the code on tray  16   a  within a predetermined time-window, and then transmits data relating both codes to each other to server  18 . Software associated with server  18  then identifies the media  32  with the tray  16   a.  (As shown in the Figure, two readers  30 , one reading the stack of paper  32  and one reading the code  17   a,  are shown for clarity; in a practical embodiment, one reader  30  is used for both functions.) 
   Alternately, a user opens a particular tray such as  16   a,  thus activating sensor  20 , which in turn indicates to a control system governing printer  12  that tray  16   a  is open. While the tray is open, the user uses reader  30  to read the code associated with media  32 . A signal that tray  16   a  is open is sent to server  18  through network  14 , and within a predetermined time window, the code for media  32  is sent to server  18  through whatever channel. Software associated with server  18  then identifies the media  32  with the tray  16   a.  There may also be ancillary data associated with the loading of the media in the tray, such as a date-time stamp and the identity of the person (identified as the holder of a particular reader  30 , the reader  30  identifying itself to the database with each transmission of data) doing the loading: this ancillary data is also accumulated in the database. 
   Instead of using a wireless device such as  30 , there may be provided, in effect “on-board” a printer  12 , a code reader  36 . In loading the printer  12 , a user opens the desired tray such as  16   a,  indicating through sensor  20  that the tray is open, and then holds the code on media  32  to the code reader  36 . Software associated with printer  12  and/or server  18  then identifies the media  32  with the tray  16   a.  In such a case, information about the date and time of the loading, as well the identity of the person doing the loading, can be entered via the UI  13  of the printer, or by other means. 
   Further according to this embodiment, once a quantity of media  32  is associated with a particular tray such as  16   a  in a particular printer  12  in the database in server  18 , a service is provided to ensure that a “usual” type of media  32  is loaded in the tray. In practical use of large fleets of printers serviced by specialized personnel, the placement of the “wrong” type of media in a particular tray is a significant customer dissatisfier. The present disclosure thus provides an automatic check that correct or “usual” media has been loaded in a particular tray. 
   Within a database serving a population of printers, such as retained within a server  18 , each tray of each printer is associated with at least one type of “usual” media. As used herein, “usual” means that the media has characteristics (brand, vendor, color, size, weight, finish, pre-printing, etc.) that are to some extent consistent with types of media that have been loaded into that particular tray in the recent past. The identity of types of media that have been loaded into the tray in the recent past is also retained in the database. The database may also include a table that associates each specific code, such as an SKU, as would possibly be read by reader  30  or code reader  36  with a set of characteristics. By associating each SKU with a set of characteristics, rules can be set up allowing substitutions of SKU&#39;s. 
   Since the database in server  18  keeps some kind of record of what type of media is “usual” for a given tray in a given printer, an algorithm is provided for deeming a media  32  proposed for loading into a particular tray to be “unusual.” “Unusual” can be defined in various ways, and an algorithm will reflect the definition; e.g., if the SKU of the proposed media is at all different from the previous media loaded into the tray; if the proposed media comes from a different vendor; if the proposed media is of different color; if the proposed media is of different size; if the proposed media is of different weight; or if the proposed media is of different finish, etc. 
   If the algorithm determines that a media  32  proposed for loading into the tray is “unusual,” a feedback of some kind to the user at the printer, or to a systems administrator associated with server  18 , is initiated. Different types of feedback are possible depending on customer desires. Most simply, an “Are you sure?” pop-up can appear at the UI  13  associated with the printer  12 , sending a message to the human user. A message can be sent wirelessly, from whatever source, to the reader  30 , and the reader  30  could let out a sound and show a message to the user. Alternatively or in addition, the use of “unusual” media can be indicated to the systems administrator governing the population of printers, and approval from the systems administrator may be required (under penalty of, for instance, disabling the printer). 
   Information about media loaded into each tray in each printer over time can be retained in server  18  for statistical analysis, such as correlating with malfunctions, or flagging situations in which a particular printer  12  is overused (such as by noting a large number of reloads of a tray within a period of time). The database in server  18  can be used for re-ordering media from a vendor, facilitating asking the vendor to send more media (in proportions of sheet sizes, etc., as determined by past use) to the physical address of the particular printer. 
   In another embodiment, there is compiled via server  18  a master list of the descriptions of the contents of all trays in all machines accessible to any user on network  14 . For various possible reasons, the “history” of what types of media have been loaded in any particular tray  16  in any printer  12  on the network in the past may be made available to any user associated with network  14 . 
   The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.