Abstract: An ink level detecting apparatus usable in an ink-jet printer includes a shrinkable ink pack provided in an ink tank, a fixed electrode installed to an upper portion of the ink tank, and a movable electrode disposed to face the fixed electrode at a predetermined distance from the fixed electrode. The movable electrode moves in a horizontal direction according to the height variation of the top surface of the shrinkable ink pack such that an overlap area between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode varies. The fixed electrode and the movable electrode generate a signal having a local maximum or a local minimum for a predetermined ink level point.

Abstract: A printhead, an inkjet image forming apparatus, and a method of compensating for a malfunctioning nozzle for the same. The printhead includes a nozzle unit having a nozzle array to eject ink on a print medium to print an image and having a length that corresponds to a width of the print medium, and a compensating nozzle unit having a compensating nozzle array to eject a compensating solution on the print medium to compensate the image by diffusing the ink ejected from the nozzle unit and being installed parallel to the nozzle array in a direction that is perpendicular to a transferring direction of the print medium, wherein each nozzle disposed in the compensating nozzle array is positioned at a predetermined position between nozzles disposed in the nozzle array.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus and a method of detecting a malfunctioning nozzle thereof. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes a printhead having a nozzle unit and having a length corresponding to a width of a print medium, an ejection driving unit to drive the printhead to print an image on the print medium, a control unit to generate control signals to print first test print patterns to detect a group of nozzles having a malfunctioning nozzle after dividing nozzles of the nozzle unit into a predetermined number of groups of nozzles, and second test print patterns to detect a position of the malfunctioning nozzle in the group of nozzles having the malfunctioning nozzle, and a detecting unit to detect the position of the malfunctioning nozzle in the nozzle unit using the first and second test print patterns.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus and a method of maintaining a printhead of the same. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes a printhead installed along a first direction with respect to a print medium that is transferred along a second direction, and includes a nozzle unit with a length corresponding to a width of the print medium and maintenance regions including a first maintenance region disposed at a first side of a longitudinal direction of the printhead and a second maintenance region disposed at a second side opposite to the first side. In the method of maintaining the printhead of the inkjet image forming apparatus, the printhead is reciprocally moved for printing according to distances between ends of the first and second sides of the print medium and adjacent boundaries of a printing area and widths of the maintenance regions. A lifespan of the printhead can be increased by controlling each nozzle in the printhead to evenly eject ink.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to detect an ink level includes an ink storage unit to store ink, an ink level detection unit to detect an initial ink level of the ink storage unit using a sensor and to output the detected result, a calculation unit to calculate a volume of an ejected unit ink droplet in a predetermined ink volume range in response to the result output from the ink level detection unit, and an ink level computation unit to compute the ink level of the ink storage unit using the calculated volume of the ejected unit ink droplet.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus and a high-quality printing method. The inkjet image forming apparatus for high-quality printing includes a plurality of printheads with lengths equal to a half-width of a print medium are arranged in a single line along a transferring direction of the print medium transferred in a subsidiary scanning direction, and are moveable along a main scanning direction to eject ink onto the print medium to print an image, a plurality of carriages where the plurality of printheads are mounted, a plurality of carriage moving units to reciprocally move the carriages in the main scanning direction, and a control unit to generate control signals to synchronize ejecting operations of the printheads and operations of the carriage moving units so that the ink ejected from the printheads is deposited on a desired area of the print medium.

Abstract: A system for peeling semiconductor chips from tape is provided with a nose on a housing. The nose has transverse dimensions smaller than the transverse dimensions of a target chip. Apertures are provided through the nose from the housing. Vacuum ports are provided in the housing adjacent the nose. A vacuum source controllably connects to the apertures and the vacuum ports. The nose is positioned adjacent a tape attached on the opposite side thereof to the target chip. Vacuum is applied to attract the tape against the nose and the adjacent portions of the housing to peel the tape from the peripheral edges of the target chip while supporting the tape in the center of the target chip.

Abstract: A print method to increase a lifetime of a printer head and a printer, a host, and a print system using the print method. The print method includes counting an amount of printing performed in a current print job, outputting a page inverting signal when the current print job is complete and the counted amount of printing performed is greater than a threshold value, and receiving and printing a page of a next print job that corresponds to the page inverting signal.

Abstract: A method of driving recording elements of a print head in an image forming apparatus for printing an image on media, for example, nozzles ejecting ink on the media in an inkjet printer, and an image forming apparatus employing the method are provided. The method includes: obtaining, for each of a plurality of drive tables, a maximum number of recording elements to be simultaneously driven when printing the image, according to a drive order in each of the plurality of drive tables, each drive table comprising drive order information about the order of driving the recording elements; selecting the drive table of the plurality of tables in which the obtained maximum number of the recording elements to be simultaneously driven is smallest; and driving the recording elements using the selected drive table.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for driving printing elements of a printer head in an image forming apparatus. The method includes calculating a number of driving groups among multiple driving groups in which at least a first predetermined number of printing elements are driven for each print line. The method calculates a number of print lines wherein the calculated number of driving groups are not less than a second predetermined number. The number of driving groups are increased if the calculated print lines is not less than a third predetermined number. Thus, it is possible to print with less power without a reduction in print quality or speed by controlling the driving of the printer head. In addition, the overall size of the image forming apparatus can be reduced by using low-power power supply.

Abstract: A printing method and apparatus therefor are provided for an ink-jet printer having a wide printhead. Printing data is received. First printing dots are formed on a printing medium by a horizontal pitch using nozzles arranged in a first row according to colors. Second printing dots are formed at a position between the first printing dots by the horizontal pitch using nozzles arranged in a second row, with respect to the received printing data.

Abstract: A printing method and apparatus using a shuttle thermal print head (TPH), which can print by moving the TPH in a transverse direction. The apparatus and printing method include (a) printing an image on a medium using the TPH while feeding the medium in a positive longitudinal direction; (b) moving the TPH in the transverse direction by a predetermined value; and (c) printing an image on the medium using the TPH while feeding the medium in a negative longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Individual pieces of film adhesive (42) are placed on a support surface (46). Diced semiconductor chips (24) are individually placed on the individual pieces of the film adhesive thereby securing the diced semiconductor chips to the support surface to create first chip subassemblies (52). The diced semiconductor chip and support surface of each of a plurality of the first chip subassemblies are electrically connected, such as by wires (54), to create second chip subassemblies ((56). At least a portion of at least some of the second chip subassemblies are encapsulated, such as with molding compound (58), to create semiconductor chip packages (60).

Abstract: A method of determining missing nozzles in an inkjet printer involving: printing a rectangular test pattern on a printing paper by using each nozzle or each group of nozzles of a printhead, and scanning the rectangular test pattern printed on the printing paper by using an optical sensor, which is an automatic alignment sensor.

Abstract: A self-diagnosis method for a facsimile device and a facsimile device to perform the same. The facsimile device has a modem and a line interface unit (LIU) that connects the modem to an external line. The method includes determining whether a communication path is in a normal state or in an abnormal state according to the detection of a dial tone transmitted from an outside, and/or determining whether the modem is in a normal state or in an abnormal state according to whether a diagnosing tone signal generated in the facsimile device is normally received. Accordingly, the self-diagnosis method self-diagnoses errors in the peripheral environment of the facsimile device without communicating with another facsimile device. These errors may be errors on external lines, or errors in the facsimile device, e.g., errors in a modem.