Abstract: A user-friendly ink jet recording apparatus is capable of preventing a sudden ink exhaustion and a resulting unclear print that may result from canceling a no-ink error signal without an ink tank replacement. In the ink jet recording apparatus, in a case of a no-ink error signal, a no-ink timer is activated and time information of a no-ink state is stored in a non-volatile memory, a period from such time is measured and compared, and after the lapse of predetermined time, a no-ink error signal is generated even before a threshold value for the no-ink error signal is reached, thereby issuing a request for ink tank replacement to the user.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a user-friendly ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing a sudden ink exhaustion and a resulting unclear print by canceling the no-ink error signal without an ink tank replacement. In the ink jet recording apparatus, in case of a no-ink error signal, a no-ink timer is activated and time information of no-ink state is stored in a non-volatile memory, and a period from such-time is measured and compared, and after the lapse of predetermined time, a no-ink error signal is generated even before a threshold value for the no-ink error signal is reached, thereby requesting an ink tank replacement to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling a print head of an ink jet printer before capping includes the steps of determining an ambient temperature, determining a print head temperature, and waiting a predetermined time after receipt of the last print data for the print job, ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets from nozzles of the print head at a frequency lower than a frequency used for printing, determining a drop in print head temperature caused by ejecting the predetermined number of ink droplets, and repeating the steps of waiting a predetermined time and ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets until the print head temperature falls below a threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling a print head of an ink jet printer before capping includes the steps of determining an ambient temperature, determining a print head temperature, and waiting a predetermined time after receipt of the last print data for the print job, ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets from nozzles of the print head at a frequency lower than a frequency used for printing, determining a drop in print head temperature caused by ejecting the predetermined number of ink droplets, and repeating the steps of waiting a predetermined time and ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets until the print head temperature falls below a threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling a print head of an ink jet printer before capping includes the steps of determining an ambient temperature, determining a print head temperature, and waiting a predetermined time after receipt of the last print data for the print job, ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets from nozzles of the print head at a frequency lower than a frequency used for printing, determining a drop in print head temperature caused by ejecting the predetermined number of ink droplets, and repeating the steps of waiting a predetermined time and ejecting a predetermined number of ink droplets until the print head temperature falls below a threshold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus for recording by discharging ink out of a recording head. The apparatus comprises a recovery apparatus for recovering the recording head in performing a conceptually lower recovery operation and a conceptually higher recovery operation including the conceptually lower recovery operation and a controller for controlling the operation of the recovery apparatus. In a case where the conceptually lower recovery operation is otherwise made, if a second condition not satisfying a first condition is satisfied even where the first condition for performing the conceptually higher recovery operation is not satisfied during the conceptually higher recovery operation, the conceptually higher recovery operation is performed without performing the conceptually lower recovery operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus for recording in discharging ink out of a recording head, comprising a recovery apparatus for recovering the recording head in performing a conceptually lower recovery operation and a conceptually higher recovery operation including the conceptually lower recovery operation and a controller for controlling the operation of the recovery apparatus. In a case where the conceptually lower recovery operation is otherwise made, if a second condition not satisfying a first condition is satisfied even where the first condition for performing the conceptually higher recovery operation is not satisfied during the conceptually higher recovery operation, the conceptually higher recovery operation is performed without performing the conceptually lower recovery operation.

Abstract: A system for scheduling cleaning of an ink jet print head loaded in an ink jet printer. The system includes receiving real time/date information from an external source, storing the real time/date information in a volatile memory, storing, in a non-volatile memory, a last cleaning time for at least one print head in the ink jet printer, calculating an elapsed time by subtracting the stored real time/date information from the stored last cleaning time, comparing the calculated elapsed time to a predetermined elapsed time, and controlling the at least one print head to perform a cleaning process in the case the calculated elapsed time is greater than the predetermined elapsed time and storing, in the non-volatile memory, a latest last time for cleaning the at least one print head.

Abstract: Printing which accommodates carriage speed non-uniformities by allowing both forward and reverse printing despite the presence of ringing and other overshoot anomalies in carriage printing speed. A determination is made as to whether print data for a current scan and a prior scan overlap in either of two critical zones at lateral extents of the recording medium, where carriage speed ringing and overshoot non-uniformities are most prevalent. If print data for a current scan and a prior scan overlap in either of the two critical zones, the current scan is printed in the same direction as that of the prior scan. On the other hand, if print data for the current scan and the prior scan do not overlap in either of the two critical zones, then printing of the current scan is effected in a direction opposite to that of the prior scan.

Abstract: Printing which accommodates carriage speed non-uniformities by allowing both forward and reverse printing despite the presence of ringing and other overshoot anomalies in carriage printing speed. A determination is made as to whether print data for a current scan and a prior scan overlap in either of two critical zones at lateral extents of the recording medium, where carriage speed ringing and overshoot non-uniformities are most prevalent. If print data for a current scan and a prior scan overlap in either of the two critical zones, the current scan is printed in the same direction as that of the prior scan. On the other hand, if print data for the current scan and the prior scan do not overlap in either of the two critical zones, then printing of the current scan is effected in a direction opposite to that of the prior scan.

Abstract: A color printer driver binarizes continuous tone color print data stored in raster form and stores the binarized data directly into column form, without the intermediary of storage in horizontal raster form, for printout by a print engine having vertically-arranged print elements.

Abstract: A system for scheduling cleaning of an ink jet print head loaded in an ink jet printer. The method includes the steps of receiving real time/date information from an external source, storing the real time/date information in a volatile memory, storing, in a non-volatile memory, a last cleaning time for at least one print head in the ink jet printer, calculating an elapsed time by subtracting the stored real time/date information from the stored last cleaning time, comparing the calculated elapsed time to a predetermined elapsed time, and controlling the at least one print head to perform a cleaning process in the case the calculated elapsed time is greater than the predetermined elapsed time and storing, in the non-volatile memory, a latest last time for cleaning the at least one print head.

Abstract: An ink jet printing system having a preheating system for preheating ink during non-printing periods. The system receives print data and commands, feeds paper into the ink jet printer in response to the receipt of print data and commands, detects an ambient temperature within the ink jet printer and determines if the ambient temperature is above a predetermined threshold temperature, preheats the ink supplied to a print head in the ink jet printer during feeding of paper in the case the detected ambient temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature, moves a printer carriage carrying the print head from a non-printing area to a printing area so as to print the print data.

Abstract: A system to perform a wiping operation upon an ink jet print head includes a first motion of the ink jet print head in a first direction to wipe the ink jet print head against a wiping element, and a second motion of the ink jet print head in the first direction to wipe the ink jet print head against the wiping element. A system to wipe an ink jet print head also includes a first motion of the ink jet print head in a first direction against a wiping element to wipe the ink jet print head, and ejection of ink toward the wiping element during the first motion. The wiping element may be a non-planar wave wiper.

Abstract: A host system for controlling a print head of an image printing device having at least one print head. The system includes the steps of obtaining profile information of the at least one print head, storing the profile parameters in a non-volatile memory, and outputting, upon request, the profile information to a host computer connected to the image printing device, wherein the host computer utilizes the print head profile information to produce compensation parameters which compensate print information to be sent from the host computer to the print head for printing.

Abstract: In an information processing system, a printer driver in a host processor transfers print data to a print buffer in a serial printer having a configuration of one or more print heads. The print head configuration serially scans a predetermined number of print positions of a line and the print buffer for each print head has storage locations corresponding to the predetermined number of print positions. The printer driver determines empty storage locations of the current print head scan and sends print data for the next scan to the determined empty storage locations of the current scan in the print buffer.

Abstract: A printer controller in a printer having at least one detachable print device sends data to a host processor that is representative of the characteristics of a presently attached detachable print device and receives commands from the host processor. In response to the received commands, the printer controller controls a printer function according to the characteristics of the attached print device. The received commands include print head driving parameters corresponding to the characteristics of the attached print device. The print head driving parameters may include parameters that modify values of pre-stored print head driving parameters loaded into the printer at the time of manufacture, or the print head driving parameters may include actual parameter values that are registered for use by the printer during actual printout.

Abstract: In a multiple print head printer in which print heads are removable and exchangeable, a method of controlling a printer carriage motor comprises the steps of receiving a print job, the print job comprising print commands and print data, determining a type of print mode to print the print data based on the received print commands, detecting a number of print heads installed in the multiple print head printer, selecting a motor control function for controlling operational speed and direction of the printer carriage motor based on the determined type of print mode and the detected number of print heads.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer with an erasing function for recording data by use of heating energy. Included are a signal generator to generate a signal to instruct the erasure; a heating energy generator; a memory in which generation patterns of heating energy to be generated from the heating energy generator are stored; and a controller to control the heating energy generator in a manner such that a plurality of different generation patterns are read out of the memory on the basis of the erasing instruction from the signal generator and different heating energy is generated from the heating energy generator a plurality of times on the basis of the generation patterns, thereby erasing recorded patterns. The heating energy generator gives the heating energy to the recorded patterns through a correctable ribbon which can print and erase. With this printer, the data recorded by variable lengths in the proportional spacing mode can be certainly erased.

Abstract: In an input device, switches are disposed at points of intersection of an n.times.m matrix, a scanning signal is applied from rows or columns of the matrix, and an operated switch is detected by detecting the scanning signal output from rows or columns. In detecting the operated switch, the detected switches may include the actually-operated switch and a pseudo-operated switch. The input device can prevent the detection of a pseudo-operated switch.