Abstract: A printer including a plurality of printhead modules located across a print media transport path is disclosed. Each printhead module has an elongate printhead. Nozzles of respective printheads overlap with nozzles of printheads of neighboring printhead modules. The printer further includes a dot data generator for providing print data to nozzles such that print data is stochastically ramped from one neighboring printhead module to a next neighboring printhead module.

Abstract: A thermal inkjet printhead has an array of nozzle arrangements provided for ejecting ink. Each nozzle arrangement includes a substrate assembly defining an ink inlet passage. A nozzle chamber structure extends from the substrate assembly to define a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet passage. The nozzle chamber structure defines an aperture through which ink in the nozzle chamber can be ejected. A pair of parallel heater elements extends from the nozzle chamber structure and into the nozzle chamber, and can be supplied with current so that ink in the nozzle chamber is ejected out through the aperture. Each heater element is shaped to define at least one broken annulus, in turn, comprising said at least one arcuate portion.

Abstract: An inkjet printer with a printhead and a conduit connected to the printhead. The conduit defines a flow path for the printing fluid and has an internal cross section configured such that the surface tension of printing fluid within it favors gas bubble growth along the conduit length over radial bubble growth that would fully occlude the flow path.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance station includes a housing operatively positioned with respect to an ink ejection face to be maintained. The housing defines a pair of slots. A support arm has lugs at each end that are slidably received in respective slots. A support is mounted on the support arm. A pad is mounted on the support and is suitable for wiping ink. A motor is operatively mounted with respect to the housing. A pair of cams is rotatable by the motor and engaged with respective lugs such that the motor can slide the arms with respect to the housing, thereby moving the pad between a first operative position and a second, inoperative position.

Abstract: A method of swipe-scanning a graphic image printed on a surface. The surface has a position-coding pattern superimposed with the graphic image. The method comprises the steps of: (i) operatively positioning a swipe scanner relative to the surface; (ii) swiping the scanner across the surface; (iii) capturing, during said swipe, successive images of portions of the graphic image; (iv) imaging, during the swipe, successive parts of the position-coding pattern; (v) determining absolute positions of the scanner using the imaged parts of the position-coding pattern; and (vi) using the absolute positions to assemble the captured portions of the graphic image into a scanned graphic image.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an inkjet printhead by forming a plurality of actuators on a monolithic substrate, covering the actuators with a sacrificial material, covering the sacrificial material with a printhead surface layer, defining a plurality of nozzle apertures in the printhead surface layer such that each of the actuators corresponds to one of the nozzle apertures and then, removing at least some of the sacrificial material on each of the actuators through the nozzle aperture corresponding to each of the actuators.

Abstract: An inkjet printer having an inkjet printhead having at least one printhead IC for ejecting ink, and a support structure for mounting the ink jet printhead in the printer and supporting the at least one printhead IC. The support structure has a paper guide adjacent the at least one printhead IC. The printer also has a print platen for facing the at least one printhead IC during printing to define a gap between the print platen and the at least one printhead IC, the print platen having a guide surface for directing the sheets of print media into the gap. A media feed path extends through the printer along which sheets of media substrate are fed, the media feed path being partially defined by the paper guide on the support structure and the guide surface of the print platen. During use, the sheets of print media path in sliding contact with the paper guide and spaced from the guide surface during printing.

Abstract: A mobile device that is (a) an inkjet printhead, (b) a print media feed path extending past the printhead, (c) a capping mechanism with a capper moveable between a capping position, in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position, where the capper is spaced from the printhead, and (d) a locking mechanism configured to move the capper to the uncapped position in response to engagement with the media such that the capper returns to the capped position upon disengagement with the media.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a printhead ejection nozzle is provided which includes depositing sacrificial material on a planar substrate form a scaffold of the sacrificial material on the substrate, defining openings in the sacrificial material to the plane of the substrate at positions for sidewalls of a nozzle chamber and a filter structure for the nozzle chamber, depositing roof material over, and into the openings of, the sacrificial material so as to form the sidewalls of the nozzle chamber on the substrate, a roof of the nozzle chamber bridging the sidewalls, and the filter structure, etching the roof material to the sacrificial material to form a nozzle aperture through the roof of the nozzle chamber, and removing the sacrificial material.

Abstract: A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The coding pattern comprises a plurality of target elements defining a target grid. The target grid comprises a plurality of cells, wherein neighboring cells share target elements. A plurality of data elements are contained in each cell. Tags are defined by a plurality of contiguous cells and each tag comprises respective local tag data encoded by a respective set of the data elements. Each cell comprises one or more translation symbols encoded by a respective set of the data elements. The translation symbols identify a translation of the cell relative to a tag containing the cell.

Abstract: A method of removing foreign particulates from an ink ejection face of a pagewidth printhead mounted on a substrate. The substrate has a film guide positioned adjacent the printhead. The method comprises the steps of: (a) flooding the face with ink and dispersing the particulates into the flooded ink; (b) positioning a polymer film in a transfer zone so as to define a cavity defined by the ink ejection face, the film guide and the polymer film; and (c) guiding the polymer film through the transfer zone. The movement of the film in the transfer zone transfers the flooded ink onto the polymer film.

Abstract: A system for providing information is disclosed. The system has a server which stores page descriptors. A printer is also includes which prints a printed page with visible and invisible data. The invisible data is indicative of one or more of the page descriptors. A sensing device senses the invisible data when placed in an operative position relative to the printed page, and transmits information extracted from sensed invisible data to the server. The server is configured to interpret the positioning of the sensing device based upon the page descriptors indicated by sensed invisible data and to provide information associated with the page descriptors.

Abstract: A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The coding pattern comprises a plurality of macrodots encoding Reed-Solomon codewords. Each codeword is comprised of Reed-Solomon data symbols and Reed-Solomon redundancy symbols. The coding pattern encodes the symbols using mixed multi-pulse position modulation, with a higher number of symbol values available for redundancy symbols than data symbols.

Abstract: An ink ejection printhead includes an elongate support frame. The support frame supports ink ejection printhead modules. An end plate is mounted to an end of the support frame and defines two guide recesses. A connector arrangement is received in the guide recesses and includes a body portion interconnected to a region by at least one bridge. The connector arrangement includes a connector extending from the body portion. An end housing defines an opening and is mounted to the end plate so that the connector is accessible through the opening.

Abstract: A method of compressing a sequence of strokes input at an input device of a processing system is provided in which each stroke input at the input device is represented as a series of digital words representing x and y co-ordinates, a reference co-ordinate of each stroke is expressed in absolute terms, and a co-ordinate other than the reference co-ordinate is expressed as an offset from a preceding co-ordinate by combining a residual error value and an estimate calculated from the previous m co-ordinates using the formula: a ~ n = ? i = 1 m ? ? c i ? a n - i where ci are coefficients selected to model characteristics of the input strokes, and ? represents either an x or a y co-ordinate.

Abstract: A printing arrangement has a modular printhead assembly with a plurality of elongate printhead modules fast with an elongate chassis. An ink supply assembly has a number of ink reservoirs with respective ink supply devices each having two parts, namely a first part with a plurality of collars and the second part defining a number of ink chambers. Each ink chamber is configured to contain ink of a particular color and is in fluid communication with a respective ink channel of one ink reservoir via one collar.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed which relate to online banking via interface surfaces printed with information and coded data. The coded data, encoded visibly or invisibly, may be queried by an appropriate sensing device. The sensing device communicates with a computer system. Together, the interface surfaces, sensing device and computer system are capable of effecting banking transactions over a network.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the noise induced in a particular section or level of a signal bandwidth. The section is isolated from the rest of the signal data, by rescaling this data to produce a buffer section adjacent the section with little or no data in it. The signal is then transmitted to the output device where all data is the buffer section is considered to be the result of noise, and is mapped back to the predetermined level. The signal data is inversely rescaled to move data back into the buffer section. In this way, more of the data that was input at the predetermined level, will also be at the predetermined level afterwards, thereby correcting noise induced in that level by noise inducing transmission techniques such as JPEG compression.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a substrate; a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate, the substrate and the drive circuitry layer defining a plurality of ink inlet channels; nozzle chamber walls positioned on the substrate, the nozzle chamber walls supporting roof structures to define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with the ink inlet channels; ink ejection ports defined in the roof structures; ink ejection members positioned in respective nozzle chambers and displaceable with respect to the roof structures to eject ink from the ink ejection ports; fulcrum formations fast with the substrate, each fulcrum formation having an effort formation on one side and a load formation on an opposite side; and thermal actuators outside of and associated with respective nozzle chambers and connected to the drive circuitry layer to move with respect to the substrate on receipt of electrical signals from the drive circuitry layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a page-width printhead assembly for an inkjet printer. The printhead assembly includes an ink distribution unit. The ink distribution unit includes an ink distribution manifold which defines a plurality of ink inlet passages, and a printhead carrier defining an elongate printhead channel. A resiliently flexible adhesive is located within the printhead channel. A printhead includes a plurality of ink ejection nozzles. The printhead is adhered within the printhead channel with the adhesive so that the ink ejection nozzles are placed in fluid communication with the ink inlet passages.