Abstract: A method of detecting malfunctioning ones of a plurality of nozzles of a printhead in an ink jet printer includes providing a sensor having at least two terminals defining at least one gap therebetween. An attempt is made to jet ink from a first of the nozzles into the at least one gap. A resistance between at least two of the terminals is measured to determine whether the ink has been jetted into the at least one gap. The attempting and measuring steps are repeated for each remaining nozzle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating color in an inkjet printing system initiates a calibration procedure by instructing an inkjet printer to print a color calibration sample. From the color calibration sample, an analysis is performed to select a color calibration based on the sample. Based on the characteristics of the selected color calibration, the color of the inkjet printer is calibrated.

Abstract: A replaceable printer component includes an array of fluid ejection elements. Each of the fluid ejection elements is configured to cause fluid to be ejected when the fluid ejection element is activated. The component includes optical activation means for activating the fluid ejection elements based on a received light beam.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method and apparatus using a color ink and a print performance improving ink which minimizes an image quality degradation due to blank lines formed by failed or faulty nozzles. This system enables the use of a print head even with failed or faulty nozzles by minimizing the image quality degradation and extends the life of the print head before replacement. The print performance improving ink is deliberately ejected onto a blank line or its vicinity to produce the so-called primer effect, thereby inducing the color ink dots on the lines adjoining the non-ejecting nozzle line to spread into the blank line to make the blank line undistinguishable.

Abstract: A solid type semiconductor device comprises energy converting means for converting energy from outside, and operating means operated by energy converted by the energy converting means. The energy converting means converts the electromotive force supplied from the outside to the device in non-contact into electric power. The operating means comprises information acquiring means actuated by electric power obtained by energy converting means; discriminating means; information accumulating means; and information communicating means.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus for effecting recording with a recording head on a recording medium, a temperature detector provided on a control circuit board of the recording apparatus detects a temperature at the board, and a timer measures a first activation time of electric power supply to the control circuit board for a control not involving a recording operation. The timing of reading the temperature detected by the temperature detector, as well as a correction value for the thus read value, are determined according to the first activation time measured by the timer.

Abstract: An inkjet pen including an ink reservoir for storing ink and providing ink for jetting. A port, located on top of the ink reservoir, fluid-communicated with the ambient air, is used for adjusting the air pressure inside the reservoir. A valve, operated by a spring or a resilient element, normally seals the port, while occasionally opening the port to introduce air into the reservoir when the ink level is low and the underpressure rises. In other embodiments, an elastic bag is included in the reservoir that has an opening communicated with the ambient air through a second port formed on top of the reservoir. The elastic bag expands in response to the increasing underpressure generated in the reservoir when ink is being used. The bag expansion actuates the opening of the valve so as to regulate the underpressure.

Abstract: The gate-width ratio between an NMOS transistor (1) and PMOS transistors (2, 3) constructing an initial inverter stage of a voltage converting circuit is set in such a manner that the threshold voltage of the initial inverter becomes a voltage at which an inversion is possible, this voltage being less than one-half the power-supply voltage (VHT) of the voltage converting circuit and, moreover, less than the power-supply voltage (Vdd) of a logic circuit.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is provided with two or more kinds of sub-scanning amounts per main scan, and records a high quality image by reducing the bleeding between colors created characteristically by a multi-pass recording method. The number of times of main scanning to complete an image by a first discharge port array for black ink use and a second discharge port array for color ink use, respectively, are set to be m (m is a positive integer) and n (n is a positive integer) times. With respect to discharge ports to be used for recording in the first and second discharge port arrays, a distance between discharge ports which are positioned at upstream ends of the respective first and second discharge port arrays in the sub-scan direction is made equal to a length of a continuously conveying amount of (m+a) (a is a positive integer) times by combination of the at least two kinds of conveying amounts.

Abstract: A disposable ink assemblage intended for an ink cartridge includes an ink bag containing an ink supply, and an ink egress snout attached to the bag and from which the ink supply is to be discharged from the bag. The snout is configured to be received in a collar only when the collar is in any one of a number of allowable orientations, and to fix the collar relative to the snout in a selected one of the orientations in order that the fixed orientation of the collar may serve to identify the ink supply in the bag.

Abstract: Performing check processing operations from MICR processing to scanning the printed check as a continuous sequence of operations lightens the burden on the operator and shortens the required processing time. The compound processing system 10 has a transportation path 15 for conveying a check P, an MICR head 17 positioned along the transportation path 15 for reading MICR text prerecorded on the check P, front print head 23 positioned along the transportation path 15 for printing on the front of check P, back print head 21 positioned along the transportation path 15 for printing on the back of check P, and a scanner head 25 positioned along the transportation path 15 for scanning the printed side (either back or front) of the check P.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus capable of recording high-quality images in which not only color shading caused in the process of reciprocating recording is prevented, but also bleeding between colors inherent in a multi-pass recording method is reduced. The position of the top of ejection orifices in a second ejection orifice row for ejecting color ink is spaced a length away from a first ejection orifice row for ejecting black ink. The length is determined according to values m, n and such a condition that the value a makes (m+a) an even number. Under the circumstances, recording is performed by reciprocating scanning, which makes differences in recording time between colors equal to each other.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer using ink reservoirs located physically remote from the print head, tubes are used to deliver ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads. Air initially present within the tubes can interfere with the proper operation of the print heads and cause print head reliability problems Additionally, air present within the tubes can interfere with the proper flow of ink from the ink reservoirs to the print heads through the tubes. An embodiment of a fluid continuity measurement apparatus includes current sources for each of the tubes. Each of the current sources delivers a substantially constant current to the corresponding tube. Voltage measurement circuits are coupled across each of the tubes. Each of the voltage measurement circuits generates an output corresponding to the voltage across the corresponding tube. The voltages appearing between the ends of the tubes changes as the volume of the air within the tubes changes.

Abstract: Detection of crosstrack aberrations of registration marks in order to prevent color errors during multicolor printing. The detection of crosstrack aberrations of registration marks is with a single sensor which detects each triangle as a registration mark per color selection, whereby the triangles are each assigned a color of the multicolor printing. Sensor values are detected and formed from these differential values.

Abstract: Determination of an adjustment value for adjusting the shifting of recording positions is made easier. The adjustment value is one for adjusting the shifting of recording positions in the direction of main scanning when ink drops are ejected and dots formed on a print medium. Patches T21-T25 and patches T31-T35 are printed in order to determine the extent (adjustment value) to which dot formation positions are shifted on a reverse pass during bidirectional printing. Each patch is formed based on the same print data D1 related to yellow (Y), light cyan (LC), and light magenta (LM) dots. Each dot is formed on the forward and reverse passes of main scanning when the patches T21-T25 are formed. The patches are printed by varying the dot recording positions on a reverse pass in small increments. The patches T31-T35 are formed solely on the forward pass of a main scan.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for delivering solvent free marking material to a receiver is provided. A printhead includes a discharge device having an inlet and an outlet with a portion of the discharge device defining a delivery path. An actuating mechanism is moveably positioned along the delivery path. A material selection device has an inlet and an outlet with the outlet of the material selection device being connected in fluid communication to the inlet of the discharge device. The inlet of the material selection device is adapted to be connected to a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a fluid and a marking material, wherein the fluid is in a gaseous state at a location beyond the outlet of the discharge device. A calibration station is positioned relative to the printhead. Additionally, or alternatively, a cleaning station is positioned relative to the printhead.

Abstract: This invention concerns a method of forming an image on optical disks by printing a white ground on an optical disk and drawing, using an inkjet printer, on optical disks arranged in a line. The printer head of the inkjet printer is scanned in the linear arrangement direction and all of the linearly arranged optical disks are contained within in a scanning range of the head of the inkjet printer so the printer head scans the optical disks in a single scan.

Abstract: In the configuration in which ink is normally ejected from an ink head from which the ink is ejected, the reliability of a decision result is improved for each of a plurality of different inks. A detection unit which outputs a detection signal by detecting the ink ejected from the ink jet head is used to perform detection by ejecting the ink in the vicinity including a detection position moving the ink jet head and the presence of ink ejection is decided by controlling the ink jet head so that at least one of the conditions such as an ejection start position, an ejection cycle of the ink, a travel speed of the ink jet head and the number of ejection times of the ink can be changed in accordance with light shielding characteristics of the ink ejected.

Abstract: By implementation of an optical scanner, the calibration of printheads of a printing mechanism may be performed in a relatively short period of time as compared to known techniques. In one respect, the time required to perform the calibration may be substantially reduced by virtue of the relatively wide field of view of the optical scanner. The relatively wide field of view generally enables for the scanning of test patterns to be performed with a relatively fewer number of scanning passes, thus reducing the time required to perform the scanning operations as well as the calibration operations. In addition, the scanning operations may yield relatively more accurate results as compared to known scanning operations. In one respect, optical scanners are capable of detecting smaller drops of ink on print media by virtue of their higher resolution capabilities.

Abstract: In a print system including a host communicating with an inkjet print apparatus, a processor executes an inkjet print driver. The driver manages print job communication to the inkjet print apparatus. The print job includes print data and at least one print control parameter. The inkjet print apparatus includes a controller, an inkjet print source which records the print data onto a media, and a mechanism which adjusts source-to-media spacing. The controller responds to a first parameter of the at least one print control parameter to control setting of the source-to-media spacing by the adjusting mechanism for the print job.