Abstract: A color printer system for executing color printing of a color image object on various kinds of papers, comprises paper color characteristic reading unit to detect color characteristic of a printing surface of a paper to be used in printing, color converting unit to perform color conversion processing of the color image object corresponding to the color characteristic of the paper obtained by the paper color characteristic reading unit, and printing unit to execute color printing based on the printing data processed by the conversion of the color converting unit.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus having a sheet forward roller 8 and a pump unit 11 connected to a single drive motor 7, and a drive force is transmitted to the pump unit 11 through time lag mechanisms 33-34 that cause a time lag at the time of switching rotational directions. Sheet feeding/discharging operation and ink sucking operation are performed with the single drive motor by taking advantage of a timing at which there are no load fluctuations accompanied by the switching operation, without requiring any switching mechanism.

Abstract: An ink jet-type printer apparatus has a purging device which purges ink in an ink cartridge through ink jet nozzles by applying vacuum to the ink jet nozzles at the time of exchange of the ink cartridge and before normal printing operation. It is first determined whether a previous purging operation is an initial one which is performed at the time of the exchange of the ink cartridge. The next purging operation is performed at an earlier timing if the determination is Yes, while it is performed at a later timing if the determination is No. In each instance, the amount of ink to be purged is increased as the time period elapsed from the previous purging operation is longer. The amount of ink to be purged is varied by the number of times of purging in each purging operation.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer and an apparatus and a method of driving a recording head for an ink-jet printer are provided for faithfully performing various image representations through ink droplet ejection driving signals of different waveforms. Based on a waveform selection signal from a selection controller, a waveform selector selects one of a plurality of drive signals from a drive waveform generator in a time-division manner. The selected signal is supplied to a piezoelectric element of a corresponding nozzle. Control is thereby performed on ink droplet ejection with a drive signal having a temporally varying waveform. The drive signals include a signal having a varying voltage waveform that disables ink droplet ejection in isolation from another waveform. A new composite drive signal waveform is generated by time-divisional selection not only at a point between ejection cycles but also at a point during the ejection cycle.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and method for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from each of a plurality of recording elements of a recording head is provided. The apparatus includes an ink ejection amount changing unit for changing an ink ejection amount of each recording element of the recording head, a timing controller for controlling an ink ejection timing of the ink ejection amount changing unit, a modulator for modulating record data, and a controller for controlling to record an image on the recording medium by outputting the record data modulated by the modulator synchronously with an ejection timing determined by the timing controller.

Abstract: A method of operating an inkjet printhead for printing on a substrate, the printhead having an array of channels; a series of nozzles which communicate respectively with said channels for ejection of droplets therefrom; connection means for connecting the channels with a source of ink; and electrically actuable means associated with each channel and actuable a plurality of times in accordance with print tone data, thereby to eject a corresponding number of droplets to form a printed dot of appropriate tone on the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: applying one or a plurality of electrical signals to the electrically actuable means associated with a channel in accordance with the print tone data, the duration of each signal being chosen such that the velocity of the corresponding ejected droplet is substantially independent of (a) whether or not channels in the vicinity of said selected channel are similarly actuated to effect drop ejection simultaneously with drop ejection from said selected chann

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printhead having a substrate that includes plurality of ink ejection elements formed thereon. The printhead also includes a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the substrate. The heat exchanger has a plurality of pathways for allowing a passage of ink through the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A method of printing with an ink jet printer compensates for skewed printing on a print medium An image area is defined on the print medium that has a plurality of rows of pixel locations and a plurality of columns of pixel locations. A printhead includes a plurality of vertically adjacent ink emitting orifices arranged in an array having a height. The printhead is scanned during first and second scans across the print medium in a direction transverse to the advance direction. The ink is jetted onto the print medium from the ink emitting orifices during the first and second scans at selected ink dot placement locations generally corresponding to one of the columns of pixel locations An offset is determined in a transverse direction between a bottom ink dot placement location associated with the first scan and a top ink dot placement location associated with the second scan.

Abstract: When the sub-heaters of recording heads are PWM controlled in a low-temperature environment, temperatures of the recording heads are respectively detected by temperature sensors. The number of recording heads to be heating controlled is determined from the detected recording head temperatures, and a maximum duty ratio of a pulse train supplied to the sub-heater corresponding to the recording head to be heating controlled is determined in accordance with the determined number of the recording heads, so that supply timings of pulse width controlled pulse trains supplied to the sub-heaters corresponding to the recording heads to be heating controlled are not overlapped.

Abstract: A tank heater 10 has a DC heater 17b and an AC heater 17a, and a front heater has a DC heater 33x and a DC heater 33y. The DC heater 17b and the DC heater 33x are normal heaters which heat and keep the ink tank and the front panel at predetermined temperatures, respectively. On the other hand, the AC heater 17a and the DC heater 33y are heaters capable of heating up rapidly. When the printer is started up, all of the heaters start generating heat. In this way, the ink tank and front panel can reach required temperatures. Also, by circulating ink in the ink tank, whose temperature is higher than that of front panel, through front panel at a purging operation, the front panel takes less time to be warmed up. Therefore, a time duration required for a preparatory process can be shortened.

Abstract: A variable maximum operating temperature for a printhead is defined and utilized within both a system and a method. The variable maximum operating temperature varies according to one or more operating conditions within a printer into which the printhead may be installed. If a detected temperature of the printhead is greater than the variable maximum operating temperature for a detected operating condition, the printer will be shut down to prevent overheating. Accordingly, the system and method extend the useful life of the printhead and reduce paper waste.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of inhibiting inadvertent ejection of a satellite ink droplet and method of assembling same. The imaging apparatus comprises a print head transducer including a pair of sidewalls defining a chamber therebetween, the channel having the ink body disposed therein. The transducer is in fluid communication with the ink body for inducing a first pressure wave in the ink body in order to eject an ink droplet. A waveform generator is connected to the transducer for supplying voltage waveforms to the transducer, so that the transducer induces pressure waves in the ink body. However, the first pressure wave has a reflected portion formed by the first pressure wave reflecting from the sidewalls. The reflected portion is sufficient to otherwise inadvertently eject unintended satellite ink droplets. Thus, a sensor is in fluid communication with the ink body for sensing the reflected portion and is connected to the transducer for inducing a second pressure wave in the ink body.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a replaceable printing component for an ink-jet printing system having at least one replaceable printing component. The replaceable printing component includes an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for transferring information between the printing component and the ink-jet printing system. The electrical storage device includes a storage portion containing a plurality of data fields associated with the replaceable printing component. Included in the electrical storage device is a plurality data values stored in each of the plurality of data fields. Also included is a control portion responsive to control signals for selectively transferring a block of data values having a preselected size between the ink-jet printer and the storage portion.

Abstract: Optical encoder system designs and methods for use thereof in printing devices are disclosed which are directed to solving problems caused by contaminant matter accumulating on optical encoder strips as well as scratching of optical encoder strips. An embodiment includes a dispenser and a take-up mechanism. The dispenser includes an encoder strip having first and second lengths. The second length of encoder strip is substantially free of contaminant matter. The first length of the encoder strip is coupled to the take-up mechanism so that the first length of the encoder strip is positioned between the dispenser and take-up mechanism. The take-up mechanism is configured to advance at least a portion of the second length of the encoder strip from the dispenser to a position between the dispenser and take-up mechanism upon actuation of the take-up mechanism.

Abstract: A method of printing with an ink jet printer uses inks of the same hue but of different saturation. The method utilizes a single dither array to control the printing application of the ink, preferably a full strength ink and a dilute ink to achieve gray scale printing. The dither array has threshold values defined for a subset of values of the range of pixel values of an image area, preferably 50% thereof, corresponding generally to threshold values between 0 and 127 inclusive. Pixel values are determined to be either within or outside of the threshold array range. Consequently, an ink dot is either printed or not, utilizing either the dilute or full strength ink. When the pixel value is within the threshold array range, the pixel value is then compared to the threshold value of the overlaid cell of the dither array. Where the pixel value is greater than the corresponding threshold value, an ink dot is printed utilizing dilute ink, else no dot is printed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to replaceable printing component for an ink-jet printing system having at least one replaceable printing component. The replaceable printing component includes an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for transferring information between the printing component and the ink-jet printing system. The electrical storage device includes a tag family identifier for selecting a family of tags from a plurality of families of tags. Also included is a plurality of tags associated with replaceable consumable parameters. Each of the plurality of tags have a tag value associated therewith. Wherein the ink-jet printing system reads the tag family identifier from the electrical storage device to select the family of tags. Each tag of the plurality of tags read by the ink-jet printer is identified based on the selected family of tags and is used to identify the associated replaceable consumable parameter.

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 monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system, and a monitoring method is also provided.

Abstract: A system for cooling an inkjet print head with the print head having a nozzle plate and heater chip. The nozzle plate contains a series of firing chambers and nozzles. The heater chip contains several heating elements and cooling channels. Ink is heated in the firing chambers and forced through the nozzles onto paper. A pump is employed to pump the ink from an ink reservoir through the cooling channels in the heater chip in order to maintain the heater chip at a constant temperature. When the printer is actively printing, at least a portion of the ink is returned to the reservoir. When the printer is not actively printing, ink is still pumped through the cooling channels to maintain the heater chip at the proper temperature.

Abstract: The purpose is to provide a high quality halftone recording with a reduced grainy feeling without lowering the true resolving power. Provided is an apparatus for making a halftone recording by employing three or more types of color materials, each of which has at least one grade of concentration, wherein each type of the color materials having the lowest concentration provides, when recording on a recording medium having a first lightness, a recorded region having its own lightness, and wherein a difference between the first lightness and the lightness of the recorded region is not more than 35, the lightness being measured according to the definition of CIE 1976 psychological measurement lightness using a standard illuminating light D65 as a light source.