Patent Publication Number: US-2010107906-A1

Title: Cartridge System

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/058,178 filed on Jun. 2, 2008, titled “Multi-Cartridge Method and System for a Personal Electronic Cutter”, to Jonathan Aaron Johnson, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a system and method for multi-cartridge use in a personal electronic cutter. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Personal cutting machines that use cartridges typically only include a single cartridge interface. Such a system may make it difficult for a user to employ designs using multiple cartridges without having to change cartridges frequently. Moreover, the user may not be able to easily keep track of the cartridges. 
     When multiple cartridges are used, the user may need to store a cartridge, an associated overlay and a user manual for the cartridge. When using many cartridges with an electronic cutter, the user may lose or feel disorganized as to the location of the cartridge, an associated overlay and a user manual. 
     Thus, a need exists for a system providing an interface for multiple cartridges for the electronic cutter. Moreover, where overlays are used to select the designs, storage for multiple overlays may be helpful to the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features and inventive aspects will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a multi-cartridge system. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the multi-cartridge system of  FIG. 1  showing the cartridge connectors. 
         FIG. 3  is a cut-away view of the multi-cartridge system of  FIG. 1  showing the cartridges and overlays/manuals. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view showing two stacked multi-cartridge systems. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a multi-cartridge system attached to a stand-alone personal electronic cutting system. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a multi-cartridge system attached to a personal electronic cutter and a personal computer. 
         FIG. 7  is a system view of the multi-cartridge system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, illustrative embodiments are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent the embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain novel aspects of an embodiment. Further, the embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the claims to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/058,178 filed on Jun. 2, 2008, titled “Multi-Cartridge Method and System for a Personal Electronic Cutter”, to Jonathan Aaron Johnson, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , as described herein, the multi-cartridge system  100  may be embodied to allow six (6) cartridges to be recognized simultaneously by a personal cutter  10  (see  FIG. 6 ). The personal cutter  10  may be, for example, a Cricut® machine. The multi-cartridge system  100  may eliminate the need for the crafter to remove and replace each of the six (6) cartridges in order to cut from each. The multi-cartridge system  100  may be a natural partner to software that interfaces with the personal cutter  10 , which would allow the software to read each of the cartridge&#39;s content. In this way, the design using the software may allow for easy cross-cartridge use. Moreover, the personal cutter  10  may daisy-chain multiple multi-cartridge systems  100  to allow additional cartridges to be used simultaneously for cutting. 
     The multi-cartridge system may be used with or without a computer interface (e.g., software running on a computer). When using the PC software, the personal cutter  10  may sense any and all cartridges plugged into the multi-cartridge system  100  chain and cut them automatically without a pause (that may be typical when a new cartridge is requested by the personal cutter  10 ). This makes using multiple cartridges more convenient to the user. When not using the PC software, the user simply presses the appropriate button to activate the desired cartridge. This allows the user to push a button to select a cartridge, rather than having to remove and replace a cartridge to access new artwork. 
     The multi-cartridge system also provides storage for manuals and overlays used with the personal cutter  10 . The convenient base compartment holds multiple manuals and corresponding overlays. When using more than one multi-cartridge system, the user can easily stack them on top of each other and still have the selection buttons exposed for use. Owning multiple multi-cartridge systems  100  may be appealing since the user can categorize and group up to six cartridges together for easy connection at any time, and leave them in the multi-cartridge system when not in use. 
     Multi-cartridge system  100  shows a base  130 , lower latches  132 , upper latches  112 , upper lid  110 , carry handle  114 , lower lid  120 , a connector cable  140 , a electronic cutter interface  142 , cartridges  151 - 156 , and user selection buttons  161 - 166 . Electronic cutter interface  142  may be used to plug multi-cartridge system  100  into an electronic cutting machine to provide the electrical interface to transfer data to and from the cartridges  151 - 156  and the electronic cutter. 
     To activate a particular cartridge a user may push the associated button. For example, if the user desired to activate cartridge  151 , the user may push button  161 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the mapping of cartridge locations and buttons are mapped in a similar pattern that a user would readily recognize. When the user was finished with cartridge  151 , they may desire to activate another cartridge. In that case, they might activate cartridge  154  by pushing button  164 . 
     When used with a personal computer, the embedded processor (see  FIG. 7 ) may be able to detect the communication with the personal computer and may provide the personal computer with the identifications of all cartridges plugged in. Thus, the personal computer interface may provide complete access to the cartridges without user any user interaction. Moreover, the interface may provide the cartridge content as well so that the content may be provided in whole or in part to the personal computer. This may be advantageous when the user desires to cut a design having content from more than one cartridge. In this case, the personal computer may receive the content to be cut from multiple cartridges and then schedule the cutting operation without requiring user interaction. 
     Upper latches  112  allow the upper lid  110  to be removed from lower lid  120 . Upper lid  110  provides security to the cartridges  151 - 156  so that they are not knocked free from their connectors. Lower latches  132  allow base  130  to be removed from lower lid  120 . This may allow the user to place lower lid  120  on a surface for use, while allowing access to the contents of the base  130  (e.g., for locating manuals and/or overlays). 
       FIG. 2  shows a plurality of cartridge connectors  210 ,  220 ,  230 ,  240 ,  250 ,  260  positioned at lower lid  120 . Cartridge connectors  210 - 260  allow a user to plug and unplug cartridges into the multi-cartridge system  100 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an upper cut-away portion  312  through upper lid  110  to expose the cartridges. Upper lid  110  may also be provided as a clear material so that the user may easily identify the cartridges residing within multi-cartridge system  100 . By identifying the cartridge, the user may manually select the cartridge for use by the buttons  161 - 166 . Also shown is a lower cut-away portion in the base  130  showing a storage cavity  322  that allows the user to keep manuals  330  and overlays  332  with multi-cartridge system  100  and with the cartridges in use. In general, the base  130  is separable from the lower lid  120  to allow the user to place lower lid  120  on a table while in use, and allows the user to retrieve overlays and/or manuals from base  130 . However, for storage or when using the cartridges with a personal computer, base  130  may be attached to lower lid  120  when the overlays are not in demand. Such a system allows the cartridges and the accessories (e.g., overlays and manuals) to be kept together. 
       FIG. 4  shows the stacking arrangement of multi-cartridge systems  100   a,    100   b,  and a cable  140   a  that allows each multi-cartridge system  100   a ,  100   b  to communicate through cable  140   b  (e.g., to the personal electronic cutter). Although the stacking is not necessary for daisy-chaining more than one multi-cartridge system  100 , the stacking may assist in reducing the overall footprint of multiple multi-cartridge systems  100 . Although only two 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 ,  FIG. 5  shows multi-cartridge system  100  connected through cable  140  to personal electronic cutter  10  in a stand-alone configuration. The personal electronic cutter  10  includes a connector  52  that electronic cutter interface  142  plugs into. The user may select any of cartridges  151 - 156  using buttons  161 - 166 . The overlay  40  may be removed from base  130  when the cartridge is selected so that the user can utilize the full functionality of the selected cartridge. Moreover, the selected cartridge will display its art on the graphical display  35 . 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 1 and 6 ,  FIG. 6  shows multi-cartridge system  100  connected through cable  140  to personal electronic cutter  10  in a computer-interfaced configuration. A personal computer  610  is also connected to personal electronic cutter  600  via a cable  620 , typically a USB cable interface. Such a computer-interfaced configuration allows the user to utilize the content from all of the connected cartridges (e.g., connected to multi-cartridge system  100 ) at the same time. Thus, no user selection of a cartridge is necessary since the computer-interfaced configuration can read and use all content stored on all connected cartridges at the same time. In an embodiment, the personal electronic cutter may be, for example, a Cricut® personal electronic cutter. Such a device is described in detail in application Ser. No. 11/457,419, filed Jul. 13, 2006, to Robert Workman et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, it will be appreciated that the personal electronic cutter is not limited to the example shown. 
       FIG. 7  is a system  700  view of the multi-cartridge system of  FIG. 1 . System  700  may include a processor  710 , user inputs  720 , an expansion connector  740 , cartridge connectors  731 - 736 , and a machine interface  750 . User inputs are shown in  FIG. 1  as switches  161 - 166 . Processor  710  may be a generic data processor having inputs and outputs. In general, processor  710  may be embedded in multi-cartridge system  100 . Moreover, processor  710  may include firmware or other software systems that allow communication with cartridges  151 - 156  (see  FIG. 1 ), user buttons  161 - 166 , machine interface  750 , expansion connector  740 , and the ability to read and/or reprogram cartridges  151 - 156 . 
     User inputs  720  may provide sensing of pushbuttons such as switches  161 - 166  (see  FIG. 1 ). The user inputs may be, for example, configured to detect mechanical switching, resistive switching, or other types of detection of user inputs. Cartridge connectors  731 - 736  may be configured to receive cartridges  151 - 156 , such as are used with the personal electronic cutter  600  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Expansion connector  740  may include a connector configured to receive electronic cutter interface  142  (see  FIG. 1 ) so that multiple systems  700  to communicate with each other, and ultimately the personal computer and/or personal cutting machine. Thus, the expansion connector  740  provides an electrical communication path for networking multiple multi-cartridge systems  100 . However, the user may decide whether to use multiple multi-cartridge systems  100 , or a single multi-cartridge system  100  at a time. 
     Machine interface  750  may be used to connect with a personal electronic cutter  600 , and/or a personal computer  610 . The personal computer connection may be direct (e.g., through a USB connection) or through the personal electronic cutter  600  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Alternatively, multi-cartridge system  100  may include a USB interface for connecting directly with a personal electronic cutter and/or a personal computer. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 6 , the multi-cartridge system  100  communicates with the electronic cutter  600  through cable  140  and a first interface type, shown as an electronic cutter interface  142  (see  FIG. 1 ). The second interface type to connect with a personal computer may be done via cable  620 , typically a USB interface. Thus, the communication with multiple devices may be completed using multiple interface types, including a cartridge connector and a personal computer peripheral connector (e.g. USB). Moreover, the components of the system may allow for the transmission and reception of information from various components using the various communication systems. In this way, the cartridge content may be individually user-selectable for the electronic cutter or the cartridge content may be used as a whole by the personal computer. 
     When using the multi-cartridge system  100  with a personal computer, the software may recognize the cartridge and use a graphical overlay on the computer screen. These overlays may be stored by the software system and do not require the physical overlay to be used. Thus, this allows the user to utilize each of the cartridges in the multi-cartridge system  100  without having to locate and place the overlay on the personal electronic cutter. 
     The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The embodiments should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application. 
     With regard to the processes, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes described herein are provided for illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the claimed invention. 
     Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims. 
     All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.