Patent US20040100510A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5516094A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0162259A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0162259A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interacting print enhancement techniques
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1985-04-11
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2005-04-11
Abstract
Abstract Print enhancement circuits (202) for an electrophotographic printing machine are placed between the character generator (200) and the printhead to modify drive signals for the printhead. Modifications include smoothing the digitized edges of slanted lines; broadening single pel width lines in the direction perpendicular to the scan direction as well as in the direction parallel to scan. Inhibiting circuits are provided to prevent passage of enhancement signals under certain conditions. Generally, leading and trailing edge gray signals are provided next to all black data in a direction parallel to scan while expanded black signals are provided for single pel data in a direction perpendicular to scan by adding to the black signal on both its leading and trailing edges.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry William Bassetti
- 👤 Sherwood Kantor
- 👤 Janis Kay Richert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:17
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/12; G06K15/128
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
289 words
An electrophotographic printing machine of the type comprising: drive means (90); movable carrier means (11) driven by said drive means; photoreceptive material (12) mounted on said movable carrier means for cyclic movement through electrophotographic process stations; charge corona means (13) located at a first station for placing a relatively uniform electrostatic charge on the surface of said photoreceptive material; exposure means (14, 16) located at a second station for selectively discharging the charged photoreceptive material to cause the formation of a latent image on said material; toner for developing said image; developer means (51) located at a third station for applying said toner to said image to produce a developed image; image receiving material; storage means (62,63) for holding a supply of image receiving material; transfer means (52) located at a fourth station for transferring said developed image from said photoreceptive material to said image receiving material; finishing means (17) located at a fifth station; forwarding means (20, 21) for serially moving image receiving material from said storage means through the transfer station to said finishing means; and control means (19) for operating said exposure means, said control means comprising: a character generator (200) for producing data signals to drive said exposure means to produce the desired image on said photoreceptive material; characterized in that it further comprises: enhancement means (202) for altering certain of said data signals before presentation of said signals to said exposure means to produce smoothing of diagonal lines on said photoreceptor and broadening of fine lines in both horizontal and vertical directions on said photoreceptor whereby a print produced from an image generated in accordance with the altered signals is of an enhanced visual quality displaying easily discernible fine lines and smooth diagonal lines.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
289 words
An electrophotographic printing machine of the type comprising: drive means (90); movable carrier means (11) driven by said drive means; photoreceptive material (12) mounted on said movable carrier means for cyclic movement through electrophotographic process stations; charge corona means (13) located at a first station for placing a relatively uniform electrostatic charge on the surface of said photoreceptive material; exposure means (14, 16) located at a second station for selectively discharging the charged photoreceptive material to cause the formation of a latent image on said material; toner for developing said image; developer means (51) located at a third station for applying said toner to said image to produce a developed image; image receiving material; storage means (62,63) for holding a supply of image receiving material; transfer means (52) located at a fourth station for transferring said developed image from said photoreceptive material to said image receiving material; finishing means (17) located at a fifth station; forwarding means (20, 21) for serially moving image receiving material from said storage means through the transfer station to said finishing means; and control means (19) for operating said exposure means, said control means comprising: a character generator (200) for producing data signals to drive said exposure means to produce the desired image on said photoreceptive material; characterized in that it further comprises: enhancement means (202) for altering certain of said data signals before presentation of said signals to said exposure means to produce smoothing of diagonal lines on said photoreceptor and broadening of fine lines in both horizontal and vertical directions on said photoreceptor whereby a print produced from an image generated in accordance with the altered signals is of an enhanced visual quality displaying easily discernible fine lines and smooth diagonal lines.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
272 words
A machine according to claim 1 characterized in that said enhancement means includes: first memory means (205) for storing streams of data signals representing a line of data as it is received; means (204) for analyzing said streams of data signals stored in- said first memory means to identify data signals representing fine line data, said fine line data signals having a first value level; means (212) for reading said stored data signals during reception of a stream of data signals representing a second line; means (220, 221) for producing a leading signal of said first value level directly leading said fine line data signals; means (221 A) for producing a trailing signal of said first value level directly trailing said fine line data signals; means (210) for combining said fine line data signals with said leading signal and said trailing signal to provide expanded fine line data signals of a first value level within the data signal stream read from said first memory means; second memory means (211) for storing streams of data signals representing a line of data read from said first memory means; means (212) for reading said stored data signals from said second memory means during reception of a stream of data signals read from said first memory; means (204) for operating upon said data signals read from said second memory means to produce a second separate data signal corresponding to the location of each data signal of a first level in said line read from said second memory, said second separate data signals capable of producing a modulated exposure to said intermediate levels on said photoreceptive material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A machine according to claim 2 characterized in that it further includes means (210)for combining said first and said second separate data signals with data signals read from said first memory means before presentation to said exposure means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A machine according to claim 3 characterized in that it further indludes means for reducing the width of each of said first and said second separate data signals to a time period less than a full data signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A machine according to claim 4 characterized in that said means for combining said first and second separate data signals includes means for inhibiting one of said separate data signals if they overlap with one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a printing machine having imaging means for producing an image to be reproduced on work material, control means for operating said image means 'to create the desired pattern on said material in accordance with image. producing data signals, characterized in that said control means includes enhancement means for enhancing the print output of said printing machine by broadening fine lines occurring in either of two perpendicular directions and by smoothing diagonal lines to remove visually discernible digitization effects.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a printing machine having imaging means for producing an image to be reproduced on work material, control means for operating said image means 'to create the desired pattern on said material in accordance with image. producing data signals, characterized in that said control means includes enhancement means for enhancing the print output of said printing machine by broadening fine lines occurring in either of two perpendicular directions and by smoothing diagonal lines to remove visually discernible digitization effects.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
172 words
, 7. A method for enhancing the print product of a printing machine which produces a digitized image comprised of characters of a foreground visual quality against a background visual quality characterized in that it includes the steps of: reading the line of data signals currently ready to print from memory means; receiving a line of data signals representing a line succeeding the line of data signals currently ready to print; reading a line of data signals representing a line preceding the line of data signals currently ready to print; altering signals in said preceding line of data signals of a foreground quality to produce signals of an intermediate visual quality; altering said line of data signals representing said succeeding line by producing signals of an intermediate visual quality in place of each signal of a foreground visual quality; and combining said line of data signals currently ready to print with the altered line of data signals representing said preceding line and the altered line of data signals representing said succeeding line.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
172 words
, 7. A method for enhancing the print product of a printing machine which produces a digitized image comprised of characters of a foreground visual quality against a background visual quality characterized in that it includes the steps of: reading the line of data signals currently ready to print from memory means; receiving a line of data signals representing a line succeeding the line of data signals currently ready to print; reading a line of data signals representing a line preceding the line of data signals currently ready to print; altering signals in said preceding line of data signals of a foreground quality to produce signals of an intermediate visual quality; altering said line of data signals representing said succeeding line by producing signals of an intermediate visual quality in place of each signal of a foreground visual quality; and combining said line of data signals currently ready to print with the altered line of data signals representing said preceding line and the altered line of data signals representing said succeeding line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 7 characterized in that it further includes the step of: inhibiting one altered signal when two altered signals overlap.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method accoding to claim 8 characterized in that it further includes the steps of: analyzing said line of data signals currently ready to print to ascertain foreground signals one picture element (pel) wide; producing a leading edge foreground data signal in the time period immediately preceding said foreground signal one pel wide; producing a trailing edge foreground data signal in the time period immediately following said foreground signal one pel wide; and combining said leading edge signal and said trailing edge signal with said stream of data signals currently ready to print.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 9 characterized in that it further includes the steps of: inhibiting said leading edge and trailing edge signals when both of said signals overlap with an altered signal of said intermediate visual quality.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 10 characterized in that it further includes the step of: inhibiting one altered signal when two altered signals overlap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.