Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: A recording-head substrate including a recording element, a driving circuit for driving the recording element, a temperature-detecting element for measuring the temperature of the recording-head substrate by outputting at least one of a maximum output voltage and a minimum output voltage, a first detection circuit for detecting the maximum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, a second detection circuit for detecting the minimum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, and first and second output terminals coupled to the first and second detection circuits for outputting the maximum and minimum output voltages respectively.

Abstract: A printhead has a plurality of printing elements and a drive circuit for driving the printing elements aligned in a predetermined direction on an element board. The printhead is provided with a Schmitt trigger having hysteresis properties that give different threshold values to the rising and falling edges of a waveform of a logic signal (HE, LT, CLK, DATA) input into the drive circuit. The Schmitt trigger is provided with means for adjusting the length of the delay at the rising and falling edges of the input waveform signal, so that the speed of data transmission to the printhead can be increased even as the supply voltage is lowered.

Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as-digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: Printhead substrate for inputting a data signal (DATA) in synchronization with a clock signal (CLK). The printhead substrate comprises: input terminals inputting the clock signal and data signal; shift registers inputting and maintaining the data signal in synchronization with the clock signal inputted from the input terminals; and a time lag adjuster arranged between an input terminal and the shift register to adjust a time lag of at least one of the clock signal or data signal. By virtue of adjusting the time lag by the time lag adjuster, setup time and hold time between the clock signal and the data signal inputted to the shift register is ensured.

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: With an ink-jet recording head comprising multiple nozzle rows, for discharging ink of different colors, arrayed in approximately a straight line in approximately the same direction as the transporting direction of a recording medium, the positioning spacing of the nozzle rows of each of the colors is set so as to be greater than the length of the nozzle rows for discharging ink of each of the colors. This prevents bleeding on the recording medium and mixing of colors on the recording head in cases of printing at high speeds with in-line type recording heads, in an arrangement with simple modifications.

Abstract: An electronic seal stamp and an electronic sheet are used. The electronic seal stamp has a stamp surface, and has a storing function and output function for electronic information. The electronic sheet is of a sheet shape, has a surface capable of being impressed, and has a storing function and input function for electronic information. When the electronic seal stamp is impressed on the electronic sheet, a seal image on the stamp surface of the electronic seal stamp is transferred to the surface of the electronic sheet. At the same time, the electronic information stored in the storing function of the electronic seal stamp is transferred to the storing function of the electronic sheet, through the output function of the electronic seal stamp and the input function of the electronic sheet. Thus, an electronic seal stamp system, in which both impression of the stamp surface and electronic sealing are possible, is realized.

Abstract: In a print head of this invention, electricity-to-heat converters and a driver circuit for driving these electricity-to-heat converters in accordance with print data are formed on a single board. The board further includes an input/output interface circuit for receiving print data from an external apparatus, a CPU for controlling a printer apparatus, a ROM, a RAM, an A/D converter, a D/A converter, a timer, and the like, and also includes an external element driver for driving a mechanism portion of the printer apparatus.

Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as-digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: A printhead has a plurality of printing elements and a drive circuit for driving the printing elements are aligned in a predetermined direction on an element board. The printhead is provided with a Schmitt trigger having hysteresis properties that give different threshold values to the rising and falling edges of a wave form of a logic signal (HE, LT, CLK, DATA) input into the drive circuit. The Schmitt trigger is provided with means for adjusting the length of the delay at the rising and falling edges of the input wave form signal, so that the speed of data transmission to the printhead can be increased even as the supply voltage is lowered.

Abstract: Printhead substrate for inputting a data signal (DATA) in synchronization with a clock signal (CLK). The printhead substrate comprises: input terminals inputting the clock signal and data signal; shift registers inputting and maintaining the data signal in synchronization with the clock signal inputted from the input terminals; and a time lag adjuster arranged between an input terminal and the shift register to adjust a time lag of at least one of the clock signal or data signal. By virtue of adjusting the time lag by the time lag adjuster, setup time and hold time between the clock signal and the data signal inputted to the shift register is ensured.

Abstract: A stable operation is realized without any malfunction of a driver even under a voltage condition that a supplied voltage is 3.3 V or lower. For this purpose, in an ink-jet printhead having an ink orifice for discharging ink, a plurality of heat generation elements for generating heat energy used to discharge ink, and an ink channel which incorporates the heat generation elements and communicates with the ink orifice, a driver for driving the heat generation elements, and a logic circuit for controlling the driver are formed on a single board. The gate oxide film thickness of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the driver is larger than that of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the logic circuit.

Abstract: The gate-width ratio between a 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: Disclosed is a printhead in which mixture of noise between the power supplies of analog and digital systems is suppressed, and a circuit for processing a small analog signal, e.g., a temperature sensing circuit, does not decrease in precision even for a high clock frequency. In the printhead including an element board on which a digital circuit including a driver and heater array and an analog circuit including a temperature sensing block are formed by a semiconductor process, and an electrical circuit board having a plurality of external input terminals for inputting/outputting signals from/to the element board, the power supply of the digital circuit and the power supply of the analog circuit are arranged apart from each other on the element board, and commonly connected to one terminal of a capacitor provided on the electrical circuit board with the other terminal grounded on the electrical circuit board.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to provide a substrate for an ink jet recording head, which is compact and can realize stable recording with high reliability, a recording head using the substrate, a recording apparatus mounting the recording head, and a method of driving the recording head. There are disclosed a substrate for a thermal recording head, having a plurality of heating resistor elements, a plurality of wiring electrodes for supplying driving signals to the heating resistor elements, a function element, electrically connected to the heating resistor elements, for selectively driving the plurality of heating resistor elements, and a measurement resistor element which is electrically independent form the heating resistor elements and the function element, and haws a resistance value larger than that of each heating resistor element, an ink jet head, a head cartridge, and a recording apparatus utilizing the substrate, and a method of driving a recording head using a measurement resistor.

Abstract: In a driving method of an ink-jet recording head, heat is generated by applying a drive signal to a heating element, and this heat is applied to ink to generate a bubble and discharge the ink through a discharge outlet. The drive signal comprises a first drive signal for storing foaming energy in the ink, and a second drive signal for generating a bubble in the ink. The second drive signal has a signal time shorter than the boundary foaming time at which foaming energy decreases in a case of performing foaming only by the second drive signal. The first drive signal is applied prior to the second drive signal in order to compensate for a decrease in foaming energy.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a plurality of liquid flow paths for ejecting the ink; and a plurality of heat generating resistors for the respective liquid flow paths, the heat generating resistor being independently drivable; wherein adjacent ones of the heat generating resistors are spaced by not more than 8 microns.

Abstract: A printing head has a plurality of heater boards, each of which includes a shift register to which printing data and selection data for selecting preheating pulse signals are applied as inputs, a latch circuit for latching the printing data, a selection-data latch circuit for latching the selection data, a selection circuit for selecting any one of a plurality of preheating pulse signals inputted in accordance with the latched selection data, and a plurality of heating resistors driven by the printing data or preheating pulse signals. Correction data, obtained by a head correcting apparatus, for performing printing at an average density by correcting the characteristics of each heater board is stored in a memory of the printing head. A printing apparatus decides the selection data in accordance with the correction data and sets the selection data in the selection-data latch circuit.

Abstract: A printing head has a plurality of heater boards, each of which includes a shift register to which printing data and selection data for selecting preheating pulse signals are applied as inputs, a latch circuit for latching the printing data, a selection-data latch circuit for latching the selection data, a selection circuit for selecting any one of a plurality of preheating pulse signals inputted in accordance with the latched selection data, and a plurality of heating resistors driven by the printing data or preheating pulse signals. Correction data, obtained by a head correcting apparatus, for performing printing at an average density by correcting the characteristics of each heater board is stored in a memory of the printing head. A printing apparatus decides the selection data in accordance with the correction data and sets the selection data in the selection-data latch circuit.