Patent ID: 8780353

Claim:
A method of operating a physical resource consuming apparatus operable according to a cycle of operation and having a controller and a removable component supplying the physical resource, and on which is provided a graphic, with the graphic, removable component and physical resource defining a multiple layer composite, the method comprising: applying a first intensity of light to the composite by the physical resource consuming apparatus and determining a corresponding first reflectance; and applying a second intensity of light to the composite by the physical resource consuming apparatus and determining a corresponding second reflectance, wherein the intensity of the second intensity light is greater than the intensity of the first intensity light and penetrates a surface of the composite; determining, with the controller, at least one characteristic of the physical resource from the first and second reflectances; and determining, with the contoller, at least one operating parameter for the physical resource consuming apparatus as a function of the at least one characteristic.