Patent ID: 7401052

Claim:
A method for validating warranty compliance for compatible fluid use of a printing system, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a. fluidly engaging a replaceable fluid container with a reservoir associated with a print station having a printhead connected to the reservoir, wherein the replaceable fluid container is adapted to contain a fluid which is for filling the reservoir and which has a shelf life, wherein a controller is for controlling fluid flow from the replaceable fluid container to the reservoir, wherein a reader/writer is intended to have a smart card adapted to track volumetric credits relating to the fluid and is connected to the controller; b. requesting to withdraw the fluid from the replaceable fluid container; c. ascertaining a presence or absence of a warranty breach condition relating to the smart card and/or the fluid, which warranty breach condition can be either an absence of the smart card at the reader/writer, a zero volumetric credit on the smart card at the reader/writer, the smart card at the reader/writer cannot be read, the fluid in the replaceable fluid container has exceeded its shelf life, or the fluid is incompatible; d. sending a message to a user interface of the print station alerting a user to a presence of the warranty breach condition; e. offering a choice to the user of acceptance of the warranty breach condition, rejection of the warranty breach condition, no response, or installation of the smart card with volumetric credits at the reader/writer, wherein the choice results in of one of the following steps: i. if acceptance, filling the reservoir with the fluid from the replaceable fluid container and transmitting a message to the printhead that cannot be reset or erased indicating the warranty breach condition has occurred; ii. if rejection, restricting flow of the fluid to the reservoir to inhibit filling of the reservoir; iii. if no response, restricting flow of the fluid to the reservoir to inhibit filling of the reservoir; iv. if installation of the smart card with volumetric credits at the reader/writer, filling the reservoir with the fluid from the replaceable fluid container, wherein installation of the smart card with volumetric credits at the reader/writer includes the steps of: 1. reading the smart card using the controller to obtain volumetric information and print station operation parameter information; 2. operating the print station with the controller and the smart card using the print station operation parameter information from the smart card; 3. ascertaining a withdrawn fluid amount removed from the replaceable fluid container; and 4. writing the withdrawn fluid amount to the smart card using the reader/writer so that the reader/writer debits the withdrawn fluid amount from the smart card in order to maintain operation of the printhead warranty.