Abstract: Disclosed is a printing system having a plurality of print heads for printing an image on a print receiving medium, print head actuators operable for individually repositioning the print heads to optimal locations for each print job, and software operable while a current print job is active for determining the optimal print head locations for a next anticipated print job.

Abstract: An ink cartridge identifying apparatus of a printer which is capable of selectively mounting two or more kinds of ink cartridges therein for printing includes an identifying unit, a sensing unit, and a micro processing unit. The identifying unit is prepared on a body of the ink cartridge. The sensing unit is prepared in a carriage mounted with the ink cartridge therein so as to sense the identifying unit. The micro processing unit identifies what kind of cartridge the ink cartridge is, by using signals detected from the sensing unit. In this structure, it is possible to identify the kind of the ink cartridge without adding electrical contact nodes to a flexible printed circuit of the ink cartridge.

Abstract: A multi-head tandem printer is disclosed which includes an optical encoder or other device mounted on a roller (the “encoder roller”) in contact with the print media. The device and encoder roller serve as a tachometer to measure the media transport speed (referred to herein as the “print speed”). The print heads are arranged so that the unloaded receiver length between two print heads is an integral multiple of the unloaded receiver length transported for each revolution of the encoder roller. In one embodiment, the print heads are arranged so that the inter-head spacing is an integer multiple of the circumference of the encoder roll. Adjustments may be made to the inter-head spacing to take into account factors such as the thickness of the receiver and the curvature at the line of receiver contact with the encoder roll. Such techniques may be employed to reduce the effect of mechanical errors on color registration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for automatically determining the image quality of inkjet photo printers or color inkjet photo printers, whereby a digital reference test chart is produced which is made available to the printer. The printer or photo printer prints out the reference test chart so that a photo printer specific printout of the reference test chart is generated, which is digitized for comparison of the digitized image data with an optimum digital reference test chart, for determination of the image quality of the printed image on the basis of deviations or concurrences between the photo printer specific test chart printout and the reference test chart.

Abstract: An ink-ejection-determining device capable of determining with high reliability whether ink has been ejected is to be realized. The device comprises a light emitter capable of emitting light, and a light receptor capable of receiving the light and outputting an output signal corresponding to an amount of the light. According to a change in the output signal caused by the light being blocked by ink ejected from an ink-ejecting portion, a determination is made of whether or not ink has been ejected. If it is determined that ink has not been ejected according to the change in the output signal, after conducting a correction of a gain of the light receptor according to the output signal of the light receptor in order to make the output signal of the light receptor suit the determination of ink ejection, the determination of whether or not ink has been ejected is made again.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a head body provided with a nozzle and a pressure chamber; an actuator including a piezoelectric element and an electrode for applying a voltage across the piezoelectric element; and a driving circuit for supplying a driving signal to the electrode of the actuator. The driving circuit always supplies an auxiliary pulse signal in every printing cycle. When ink is to be discharged, the driving circuit supplies, after the auxiliary pulse signal is supplied, an ink discharge pulse signal for driving the actuator so that the ink is discharged and so that an ink meniscus vibration in the nozzle is resonant with that caused by the auxiliary pulse signal.

Abstract: In cross control in sub-scanning (LF) and main scanning (CR), to avoid the risk of skew printing and increase the processing speed, a supposed settling time in the next sub-scanning cycle is obtained on the basis of the history information of the sub-scanning settling time of a printing apparatus, and a supposed idle time from the start of the next main scanning driving cycle to the start of printing is obtained on the basis of the history information of the main scanning acceleration required time. It is determined using the supposed settling time and supposed idle time whether cross control in which main scanning driving starts before the end of sub-scanning driving can be executed in next print scanning processing. If it is possible, the time difference from the start of sub-scanning driving to the start of main scanning driving is determined using the supposed settling time and the supposed idle time.

Abstract: A pen having a printhead and a chamber for holding ink; a sensor for monitoring changes in the amount of ink in the chamber; and a pump for seletively drawing ink into or expelling ink from the chamber.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system includes an array of transducers to eject ink, the array including the transducers divided into interspersed sets. A controller controls a firing sequence of the array of transducers. One set of transducers is fired, and after a delay, another set of transducers is fired and then, after further delays, each set is fired in turn. The delays are selected based on known response characteristics of the array of transducers to minimize the average crosstalk for all of the sets.

Abstract: A printhead for a hardcopy apparatus is calibrated by a separate device before being installed in the hardcopy apparatus. The calibration information produced is stored in a memory located in the printhead, in the device, in the hardcopy apparatus or in an external device. A carriage and several printheads may be calibrated simultaneously.

Abstract: A machine readable medium in combination with at least one sheet of print media, the machine readable medium having encoded parameter information that corresponds to the sheet of print media, the machine readable medium adapted to be separable from the print media and packaging therefor such that, during operation, the machine readable medium is physically separate from the print media and packaging, for conveying the encoded parameter information to an imaging device capable of configuring at least one parameter of the imaging device based on the encoded parameter information to form an image on the sheet of print media.

Abstract: A method for measuring a pen-to-paper spacing in an inkjet printing mechanism is provided. Firstly, a first nozzle of a printhead in the printing mechanism ejects a first ink drop onto a medium at a first ejection velocity when the printhead moves at a first moving velocity along a scanning axis and when the printhead reaches a first position along the scanning axis. Subsequently, a second nozzle of the printhead ejects a second ink drop onto the medium at a second ejection velocity when the printhead moves at a second moving velocity along the scanning axis and when the printhead reaches a second position along the scanning axis. The spacing between the two nozzles along the scanning axis and the spacing between the two positions along the scanning axis are predetermined. Then the spacing between the first and second ink drops on the medium along the scanning axis is measured.

Abstract: A print medium with encoded data and a print media detection system for use in detecting at least one characteristic of the sheet of print medium based on the encoded data are disclosed. The encoded data is designed to minimize its visual perceptibility. The print media detector is designed to recognize various characteristics of print media based upon the encoded data and transmit information regarding these characteristics to a printing device so that one or more operating parameters of the printing device can be adjusted to help optimize print quality for the particular characteristics of a particular print medium. A printing device including the print medium and print media detection system is also disclosed. A method of detecting one or more characteristics of print media used in a printing device is additionally disclosed.

Abstract: A printer with adjustable PPS is provided. The printer includes a printer frame structure, a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across a print zone during printing operations, and at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage for printing on a medium in the print zone. The printer further has means for driving the cartridge relative to the printer between a first position in which the printer prints at a first PPS measured from a bottom surface of the medium, and a second position in which the printer prints at a second PPS.

Abstract: A plurality of forward pulse-waiting-times are respectively defined correspondingly to respective forward-timings that are defined correspondingly to a plurality of predetermined passage-positions while the head member is moved forward. A plurality of backward pulse-waiting-times are respectively defined correspondingly to respective backward-timings that are defined correspondingly to the plurality of predetermined passage-positions while the head member is moved backward. A forward jetting-driving signal includes a plurality of forward pulse-waves that respectively rise up or fall down when the respective forward pulse-waiting-times have passed since the respective forward-timings. A backward jetting-driving signal includes a plurality of backward pulse-waves that respectively rise up or fall down when the respective backward pulse-waiting-times have passed since the respective backward-timings. Each forward pulse-wave and each backward pulse-wave have the same waveform.

Abstract: When positively charged ink droplets 608 from a defective nozzle impact a negatively charged deflector electrode 320, the positive charge on condenser 609 flows to the ground via a FET 618 of a photo-coupler 610. As a result, the electric discharge occurs by an amount equivalent to the charging amount of the ink droplets 608 clinging on the electrode 320. Because a switching signal 606 is “1”, the ON resistance of the photo-coupler 610 is large, and the ON resistance of the FET 620 of the photo-coupler 612 is small. Accordingly, the discharge due to the charged ink droplets 608 is detected as a large detection voltage and amplified by an operational amplifier 613 . Because the charger voltage of the condenser 609 is static and has no noise, even when the detection output 615 is highly amplified, noise during the detection is suppressed.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink egress snout from which an ink supply is discharged from the ink cartridge, and a collar that mates with the snout and can be arranged in any one of a number of allowable orientations to provide an identification of the ink supply. The snout and the collar are mutually configured to permit the collar to mate with the snout only when the collar is in any one of the orientations, whereby an identification of the ink supply can be provided simply by the collar mating with the snout.

Abstract: A ball check valve for use in a bulk ink supply system of an inkjet printing system, for disposal in an ink flow path between an ink reservoir and a printhead, so as to control back pressure at the printhead thereby reducing the occurrence of de-priming of the printhead, including a valve body defining a chamber with an inlet and an outlet; a ball disposed in the chamber, the ball having a diameter; a ball retainer disposed in the inlet, the ball retainer having an aperture with a diameter which is less than the diameter of the ball, wherein backflow of ink in the chamber causes the ball to seat against the ball retainer, placing the ball check valve in a closed position such that ink flow through the aperture is restricted.

Abstract: A recording head includes a nozzle orifice, a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle orifice, and an actuator which varies a volume of the pressure chamber. A drive signal generator generates a drive signal in which a plurality of drive pulses are arranged within a unit recording period. The drive pulses includes at least a first drive pulse composed of an expanding element, which drives the actuator so as to expand the pressure chamber, an expansion holding element, which drives the actuator such that the expanded state of the pressure chamber is held in a first time period roughly equal to a first natural vibration period which is a natural vibration period of ink stored in the pressure chamber, and an ejecting element, which drives the actuator so as to contract the pressure chamber so that the ink in the pressure chamber is ejected from the nozzle orifice.

Abstract: A compact optical sensing system is used in hardcopy devices for scanning and/or printing images, for instance, using inkjet printing technology in desktop printing or in photographic printers appearing in grocery and variety stores. Several light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) illuminate a sheet of print media, and one or more photodiodes receive light reflected from the sheet. The photodiode generates signals in response to the light received, and the hardcopy device uses these signals to adjust printing parameters for optimal print quality. Using a chip-on-board process, the bare silicon die for each component is wire bonded directly to a printed circuit board assembly, allowing at least four LEDs (blue, green, red and soft-orange) to be grouped closely together in a space smaller than that occupied by a factory-made, single-packaged LED. A calibrating system uses a white target covered for cleanliness by a windowed door which is opened/closed by a printhead carriage.