Abstract: A head drive device includes a thermal head, a capacitor, a control circuit and a drive circuit. The thermal head has a first group of heat generators and a second group of heat generators having a smaller number of heat generators than the first group. The control circuit selects, based on printing data, whether to perform printing with use of the first group or to perform printing with use of the second group. The drive circuit supplies power of a power source and the power stored in the capacitor to the thermal head when the first group is used, and supplies the power of the power source to the thermal head when the second group is used. The control circuit performs printing with use the first or second group based on the storage state of the capacitor.

Abstract: A printing device comprises: a print head configured to print a plurality of print lines on a medium to be printed, the medium being conveyed in a conveying direction; and a processor configured to control the print head.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a thermal head and a processor. The thermal head includes heat-generating elements and prints on a plurality of lines in a medium. The processor sets a second period within one of the setting periods. The second period is a time period for adjusting a temperature change of the heat-generating elements without printing on the medium, after a first period for printing. The processor determines a nth line (n: an integer of 2 or greater) among the lines based on printing data. The nth line is estimated to have a possibility of sticking in printing. The processor adjusts a temperature change of at least a part of the heat-generating elements in the second periods corresponding to at least the nth line and a (n?1)th line. The (n?1)th line is printed immediately before the nth line based on the printing data, to suppress the sticking.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an electrical storage that is charged by power input from an external power supply, a print unit that sequentially executes, by discharging the power charged in the electrical storage, a plurality of sequences in an operation sequence for printing on a print medium, and a charge unit that charges the power in the electrical storage from a period beginning when execution of one sequence by the print unit ends, until a next sequence starts. A prediction unit predicts an electrical energy amount necessary to execute the next sequence, and a control unit controls the print unit to execute the next sequence in a case in which an electrical storage amount of the electrical storage becomes greater than a threshold based on the electrical energy necessary to execute the next sequence by charging of the electrical storage by the charge unit.

Abstract: A printer includes a printing head that includes a plurality of heating elements arranged in a first direction and a processor, wherein printing data representing an image to be printed on a printing medium are divided into a plurality of line data, each of the plurality of line data representing a corresponding line segment of the image, extending in the first direction, by a series of dots constituted of printing dots to be printed on the printing medium and non-printing dots that are not printed on the printing medium, and wherein, for each of the line data, the processor obtains distribution information of the printing dots in the line data, and sets an energizing time, during which the selected heating elements are energized continuously, or intermittently by pulses, to print the corresponding printing dots, in accordance with the distribution information of the printing dots in the line data.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a modulation circuit that generates a modulated signal obtained by performing pulse modulation on a source signal; a transistor that amplifies the modulated signal to generate an amplified modulated signal; a lowpass filer that smoothes the amplified modulated signal to generate a driving signal; a piezoelectric element that is displaced when the driving signal is applied; and a circuit substrate on which the modulation circuit, the transistor, and the lowpass filter are mounted. The transistor includes a die, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a conductive die pad, a first lead which is electrically connected to the second electrode by a bonding wire, and a second lead which is electrically connected to the third electrode by a bonding wire. The die pad, the first lead, and the second lead are electrically connected to different wiring patterns of the circuit substrate.

Abstract: A thermal printer includes a first thermal head which is so provided as to be brought into contact with one side of a paper, a second thermal head which is so provided as to be brought into contact with the other side of the paper, and a controller. The first thermal head energizes a plurality of heater elements to print dot image data on one side of the paper. The second thermal head energizes a plurality of heater elements to print dot image data on the other side of the paper. The controller is configured to shift the energization times between the first thermal head and second thermal head.

Abstract: A driver circuit of a thermal print head is disclosed including: a plurality of gating groups respectively coupled to a plurality of strobe signals of different timings in which each gating group includes a plurality of gate units respectively coupled to a plurality of heating elements; and a register module coupled to the plurality of gating groups for providing each gate unit with a corresponding color level data; wherein each gate unit controls a coupled heating element according to a corresponding strobe signal and a received color level data.

Abstract: To provide a technology which facilitates positioning of a document to a document table even in a condition of a vertically placed image reading apparatus and by which operability was improved. It is configured in such a manner that, in case that a document cover 6 was opened to an apparatus main body 1 in the vertically placed condition, (a distance c between a document table glass 2 of an apparatus main body 1 and an end portion 57 of a lowermost portion of a press-contact sheet 8)<(a step (a height from the document table glass 2) d of a step 58a) is realized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for driving heaters of a thermal print head in a thermal image transfer. The method divides each of the heaters, which consecutively print at least two color images, into a predetermined number of groups of multiple heaters. The heaters in each group consecutively printing a first color image. When printing an image by consecutively printing more than two color images, the heating order is divided into 12 phases and the image is sequentially printed. Power consumed in driving the heaters is therefore reduced.

Abstract: A thermal print head is disclosed including plural driver circuits, each for driving plural heating elements; and a strobe signal generator for generating a plurality of strobe signals of different timings in which each strobe signal is coupled to a part of the plurality of driver circuits. The plural driver circuits operate simultaneously according to the plurality of strobe signals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus, a printing system, and a printing method which can excellently print various images while taking the advantages of driving of a print head in a time divisional manner. Dispersive driving control or sequential driving control is selected in accordance with the attributes of an image to be printed to drive a plurality of print element groups in the print head in a time divisional manner under the selected dispersive or sequential driving control. The dispersive driving control drives the plurality of print element groups in a time divisional manner so as to sequentially drive the print element groups not located close to each other. The sequential driving control drives the plurality of print element groups in a time divisional manner so as to sequentially drive the print element groups located close to each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing or eliminating cross-talk when operating a thermal print head for printing one line on a recording medium.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus has a printhead with an array of nozzles and can reduce printing time. The printing elements are divided into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of nozzles. The blocks to be used for printing are selected based on information to be printed. Blocks from among the selected blocks are designated by a start block designation register and an end block designation register, and a counter is controlled to operate only for the selected blocks to drive the printing elements therein. In this manner, high-speed printing can be performed by avoiding unnecessary discharge control of nozzles not used in printing.

Abstract: A method of controlling a temperature of a print chip of a printhead in an ink jet printer includes providing a memory device within the printer. Ink is emitted from the printhead. Temperature data associated with the print chip during the emitting step is recorded. A thermal resistance value associated with the printhead and/or a thermal capacitance value associated with the printhead is calculated. The calculating is dependent upon the recorded temperature data. The thermal resistance value associated with the printhead and/or the thermal capacitance value associated with the printhead is stored in the memory device. A temperature of the print chip at a future point in time is estimated based upon a number of ink drops to be emitted by the printhead before the future point in time, and the thermal resistance value associated with the printhead and/or the thermal capacitance value associated with the printhead.

Abstract: A thermal line printer drive method and a thermal line printer devised to prevent occurrence of a white gap during printing. A plurality of heating elements arranged on a line perpendicular to a sheet feed direction are separated into a plurality of blocks, and the heating elements in each block are driven separately from those in other blocks to perform thermal recording on a heat-sensitive sheet. A drive pulse is applied to each heating element in each block a certain number of times by being divided.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet recording head comprises a plurality of recording elements for applying an energy to discharge ink, a recording element driver for driving the recording elements, a control circuit for controlling the recording element driver, and a high resolution reference signal generator using a plurality of input signals continuously given from the outside in a predetermined period and generating a reference signal which has a period shorter than the predetermined period, so that recording control is performed by supplying the reference signal to the control circuit. The bluntness of a pulse waveform by the transmission of the signal via a cable, and a radiation noise generated from the cable can be inhibited, and the ink jet recording head can cope with high speed and a multiplicity of nozzles.

Abstract: A thermal line printer drive method and a thermal line printer devised to prevent occurrence of a white gap during printing. A plurality of heating elements arranged on a line perpendicular to a sheet feed direction are separated into a plurality of blocks, and the heating elements in each block are driven separately from those in other blocks to perform thermal recording on a heat-sensitive sheet. A drive pulse is applied to each heating element in each block a certain number of times by being divided.

Abstract: The invention provides a current supply control method used for a line thermal head that is capable of reducing the irregular color and jitter easily and surely. The method is characterized in that heating elements served for divided driving are controlled so as to be different for each color served for printing.

Abstract: There will be provided a printing method for block copy film and a block copy printer capable of adjusting printing density as occasion arises as well as making joints between print lines inconspicuous. A predetermined mount of conveyance of transparent resin film P will be set to 1/N (N is an integer of 2 or more) of a predetermined printing width, which is a line-up width of the exothermic elements, and printing at a predetermined printing width will be repeated after the transparent resin film P is conveyed in the predetermined amount of conveyance.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead having a first plurality of ink drop generators disposed along a first edge of an ink feed slot, and a second plurality of ink drop generators disposed along a second edge of the ink feed slot that is opposite the first edge. The ink drop generators are arranged in a plurality of groups called primitives, and each primitive includes a first subgroup of ink drop generators disposed along the first edge and a second subgroup of ink drop generators along second edge, whereby the first subgroup of each primitive includes a subset of the first plurality of ink drop generators and whereby the second subgroup of each primitive includes a subset of the second plurality of ink drop generators. In this manner each primitive is bifurcated across said ink feed slot.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing method and ink-jet printer for printing an image on a printing medium by driving print elements of a printhead and ejecting ink in accordance with an image signal, the timing of driving the plurality of print elements of the printhead is divided into a plurality of timings, and print elements, of the plurality of print elements, which are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance are selected as one group at each of the plurality of timings. The print elements belonging to the selected group are energized and driven. The dispersed print elements are changed a predetermined period of time after the driving, and the changed print elements are driven. This driving operation is repeatedly executed for all the print elements of the printhead to print an image corresponding to the image signal.

Abstract: A multi-gradation recording method wherein the recording energy in high density region can be reduced, and the rough appearance in low density region or high density region and notchy appearance in profile or line of the image can be reduced while maintaining the level of reproduction of intermediate tones obtained by the conventional recording method using the zigzag pattern or the stripe pattern is provided which comprises: using a printer of the type wherein each one pixel is formed by using each one recording element and the optical density of the pixel formed is represented by the magnitude of the area of the pixel, dividing input data into two or more groups with respect to the data corresponding to pixels to be arranged in principal scanning direction, correcting the data of each group on the basis of the corresponding &ggr; correction data, the &ggr; correction data for the respective groups being different from each other, and performing recording on the basis of the corrected data wherein the pixels

Abstract: A thermal head has plural heating elements arranged in line in a main scan direction. The heating elements are supplied with a train of drive pulses while the thermosensitive recording sheet is conveyed in a sub scan direction crosswise to the main scan direction, for thermal recording to the recording material by one line. The heating elements are grouped into first and second groups. The drive pulse train for the first group of the heating elements is determined by starting the drive pulse train at a start of the one line. The drive pulse train for the second group of the heating elements is determined by ending the drive pulse train at an end of the one line.

Abstract: A printhead, constructed with a plurality of common-type element substrates which sandwich a connecting board, which performs printing by utilizing a common-type control signal. The element substrate integrates: a plurality of heaters 101 which are arrayed in one line, power transistors 102, a shift register 104, a latch circuit 117, an AND circuit 119, terminals 114 to 116 for inputting block-selection signals, a terminal 120 for inputting an inverse instruction signal which instructs to invert the block selection signal, a block inverter 121 for inverting the block-selection signal in accordance with the inverse instruction signal, and a 3 to 8 decoder 118 for selecting one of a plurality of blocks. By utilizing a printhead where at least two of the element substrate are arranged opposite to each other, and where plural arrays of printing elements are formed, printing is performed by dividing a plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally driving each block.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for performing recording of data on a recording medium by transferring ink of an ink sheet on said recording medium comprises conveying means for conveying said ink sheet and recording medium, recording means for effecting said ink sheet to record image data on said recording medium, and control means for counting time after image recording by said recording means and driving said recording means when the next image recording is not performed in a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Both a method and apparatus are provided for sizing and operating enable groups of thermal elements in a thermal printer to allow the printer to be operated by power sources having outputs too small to operate all of the thermal elements simultaneously. Prior to the printing operation, the maximum number of thermal elements that can be actuated by the output of the power source is determined, and then divided into the total number of thermal elements. Next, the resulting quotient is rounded up into the nearest integer in order to ascertain the number of enable groups. The number of enable groups is then divided into the total number of thermal elements to determine the size of each enable group.

Abstract: A recording apparatus records an image by driving plural recording elements in blocks, into which the plural recording elements are divided. The plural blocks are divided into plural groups, each group having more than one block. A driving circuit drives each of the blocks independently. The driving circuit effects recording with high resolution or low resolution by respectively driving plural groups at a different timing in a first mode and driving the plural groups at a same timing in a second mode.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a printhead controller including a printhead driver circuit having a set of ink jet nozzle control outputs and a printhead select circuit having a plurality of printhead select outputs. A plurality of printheads are provided, wherein each printhead includes a plurality of ink jet nozzles, a plurality of individually controllable ink jet nozzle firing circuits, and a printhead enable circuit, wherein the printhead enable circuit is electrically coupled between the plurality of individually controllable ink jet nozzle firing circuits and the set of ink jet nozzle control outputs, and wherein the printhead enable circuit is electrically coupled to one of the plurality of printhead select outputs and enables the electrical conduction of the plurality of controllable ink jet nozzle firing circuits upon receipt of a printhead select signal from one of the printhead select outputs of the printhead select circuits.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a plurality of drive ICs (7) are mounted on a thermal printhead (1) which has a predetermined number of heating dots (3). The number of output bits of each drive IC (7) is set to be a divisor of 1/4 of the predetermined number of the heating dots (3) and a multiple of 8 which is no less than 48. Thus, it is possible to divide the plurality of drive ICs (7) into 2 or 4 groups and to control the groups of drive ICs by time division. Further, when the number of output bits of each drive IC (7) is set to be a common divisor of 1/4 and 1/3 of the predetermined number of the heating dots (3), it is possible to drive the thermal printhead (1) by 3-divisional control in addition to 2- and 4-divisional control. Specifically, the number of output bits of each drive IC (7) is preferably any one of 72, 144 or 216, in particular 144.

Abstract: A thermal printer for forming an image on a sheet, with the image having a plurality of line image data. The thermal printer includes a thermal head having a plurality of linearly arranged thermal elements for forming the image. The total number of the thermal elements to be driven is determined. The thermal elements are driven for a predetermined time period in accordance with the line image data if the number of thermal elements to be driven is not greater than a predetermined value. If the total number of the thermal elements to be driven is greater than the predetermined value, then the predetermined time period is divided into a number of fractional time periods and the thermal elements are intermittently driven for each of the fractional time periods. The predetermined value is determined to avoid sticking between the thermal head and a thermosensitive sheet due to excess heat.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided with a thermal head which has a plurality of heatable elements disposed in a line and divided into plural groups. A control unit controls the plural groups of heatable elements in accordance with printing data to generate heat to thermal-transfer ink of an ink ribbon onto a label tape, thereby printing the printing data on the label tape. A boundary heatable element within one group of heatable elements which is disposed adjacently to other group of heatable elements is driven in accordance with the printing data when the other group of heatable elements are driven to generate heat. The boundary heatable element generates heat twice to prints data twice on the label tape at a portion corresponding to the boundary between two groups of heatable elements, there by printing data on the portion with higher printing intensity.

Abstract: In an LED head operated on a time sharing basis, a multiplexer switches resistances for determining LED currents on LED arrays and assigns appropriate resistance to each array. The multiplexer is operated by block select signals of a block select circuit for time sharing operation, where the number of resistances corresponds to the number of blocks. The multiplexer capacity may also be less than the number of blocks, where the number of resistances less than the number of blocks and the same resistances correspond to more than one block. Output dispersions between arrays are adjusted by appropriate assignment of the resistances. sharing operation. Capacity of the multiplexer correspond to the number of blocks required for time. Gray scale printing is achieved by switching the current determining resistances in accordance with shading degree of image with the multiplexer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a driving device for a recording head such as a thermal head or an ink jet head driven in plural blocks, which is capable of avoiding formation of division lines, or low-density streaks, in the recorded image at the boundaries of the driving blocks of the head. In this driving device, the time difference between the start of pulse application to a heat generating element of the recording head and that of an adjacent element is maintained so as not to exceed the maximum pulse duration to the heat generating element. Also, a group of plural heat generating elements positioned at the boundary of two divided blocks is activated simultaneously with each of the two divided blocks.

Abstract: A gradational printing method for performing a gradational printing by energizing a plurality of heat emitting elements arranged on a thermal head correspondingly to respective bits of digital gradation data representing a gray level. In case of this method, the plurality of heat emitting elements are divided into two or more blocks and the blocks are energized correspondingly to different bits of the digital gradation data. Thus, an energizing time, during which a maximum current should be supplied, can be reduced. Further, the weight of the printer can be light. Moreover, if the maximum electric current of a printer is equal to that of the conventional method, the duration thereof can be equal to the minimum duration of the energizing pulses corresponding to the bits of the gradation data. Consequently, the capacities of a power supply and a printer employing this method can be small. Further, the size and manufacturing cost of the power supply and the printer can be small.

Abstract: A plurality (n) of heating elements are driven by respective drive elements in accordance with printing data stored in first and second shift registers each having at least n/2 memory cells. Common bit-serial printing data is input to the first and second shift registers. In a first period, new printing data of n/2 bits is stored into the first shift register by application of a first clock signal and printing data already stored in the second shift register is provided to the associated drive elements. In a second period, new printing data of n/2 bits is stored into the second register by application of a second clock signal and printing data already stored in the first shift register is provided to the associated drive elements. The first and second shift registers may include an equal number of dummy memory cells for storing dummy printing data, in which case the part of the drive elements associated with the dummy memory cells are not connected to any printing elements.

Abstract: A line thermal printer has a line thermal head comprised of a plurality of physical blocks arranged in a line. Each physical block has a plurality of heat generation elements to which power is selectively supplied for dot printing a line. A driving circuit has driving blocks corresponding to the physical blocks and selectively supplies power to the heat generation elements line-by-line in line sequence in accordance with the printing dot data. Printing dot data memory blocks are connected to corresponding ones of the driving blocks and supply the printing dot data to the driving circuit in synchronism in line sequence timing. A printing dot counter has counter blocks connected to corresponding ones of the printing dot data memory blocks and counts the printing dot number on the basis of the printing dot data held in the memory blocks for each line of print.