Patent ID: 7965410

Claim:
A color marking system of an electrostatic marking apparatus, said system comprising a controller and a cartridge having at least four compartments, each said compartment comprising a different colorant, each said compartment comprising a sensor and a dispenser for each of a colorant housed therein, said sensor configured to sense and convey an amount of a colorant in that compartment, said sensor in communication with said controller, wherein said sensors and controller are in communication with a color transformation, said color transformation configured to use information from said sensors to determine what mix and amounts of said colorants are necessary to produce said desired color markings said color transformation configured to convey this information and data to said controller, said controller configured to receive data from said color transformation on what mix and amounts of said colorants are necessary to produce a desired color marking, said dispensers configured to receive said data from said controller and to use said data to dispense mixed amounts of each colorant determined by said controller, and wherein said controller is configured to utilize a most abundant colorant of said colorants contained in said cartridge and reduce a usage of least abundant colorant of said colorants to produce said desired color marking, and wherein said controller is configured to maximize usage of said colorants in said cartridge and to thereby minimize frequency of replacement of said cartridge.